During the Curse
by The Wicked Queen
Summary: David and Regina are married during the curse and raise Henry together.
1. Chapter 1

"Please don't take me back there," Henry begged.

He was at her side, begging as he jogged to catch up with her long hurried strides. The boy looked vaguely like a puppy, trailing after her heels, only he was pleading instead of barking.

"I have to," she replied.

She swung the gate open and walked down the front path to the mansion. The mansion. She couldn't believe it. He had concerned her in Boston - no happy kid would leave home in the middle of the night to find a perfect stranger. And the fact that he could pull it off at all spoke volumes about the type of parents he had. _What kind of people wouldn't notice their ten-year-old missing?_ she had wondered. She had pondered on that as he slept in the passenger seat of her car, had watched him sleep with worry eating at her heart. What kind of life had she sent him into all those years ago? Was he happy? What were his parents like? Did they take of him? Did they even love him?

These thoughts had set her on edge, made her panicked and set her guilt to boiling levels. What kind of life had she sent him into? She had been in the system. Knew the type of pervs and sickos who used kids for a paycheck and had still sent her son into that. Her lip bled from how hard she'd bit it to keep her tears from falling and waking him

Then she'd arrived in this sleepy town to find that he was fine. Better than fine. He had two parents, hard-working parents at that - his mother was the Mayor and his father the local Deputy. And not only did he have a roof over his head, it was a mansion. A small part of Emma was envious of that, envious that he'd gotten the life she dreamed of as a child. Another part was shocked at how bratish and spoiled he was, how he didn't realise what he had right in front of him. But overall... Overall, Emma Swan was relieved that her worry had been for nothing, that he was taken care of, that he had everything he needed, that he was lucky enough to have not one but two parents.

"I'm sure your parents are worried sick," she said, quickly pushing aside the ridiculous idea of keeping him for the night.

"My dad maybe... But not _her_."

"What, your mom?"

"She's evil."

That stopped her in place. Was this why he had run off? Was this the crack in his seemingly perfect life?

"Evil?" Emma turned to face him. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" she crossed her arms over her chest, indifference played out with a raised brow even though she was panicking on the inside. Evil. What did he mean by evil?

"She is." Henry looked up sadly, mumbling his next words. "She doesn't love me. She only pretends to."

Her heart broke at that. She told herself to calm down, that kids often exaggerated things. Then remembered that was a line her foster mother had told her teacher when asked about the bruise on her arm. This wasn't like that, she reminded herself. Henry wasn't her. She couldn't just jump to conclusions when she knew nothing about him. She had to go on what she saw. And what she saw was a pouting little boy who was most likely trying to avoid the trouble he had caused by leaving home.

"Kid," Emma sighed, bending at the waist to look him in the eye. "I'm sure that's not true."

The door swung open. "Henry!"

Emma turned to see a teary-faced brunette run out the door and down the path. She threw an arm about Henry, holding him close to her, a few tears spilling as her eyes closed.

_**...**_

Regina pulled him into her tightly. _Thank god_, was her first thought. Her eyes were closed but she could feel the tears under them and took a deep breath not to release them. She felt arms around her, strong ones that she had been crying into only moments earlier. David joined in their embrace and for a single moment all was right in her universe.

Henry pushed slightly against her. Thinking he might be hurt, Regina quickly pulled back to look at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked immediately, voice hoarse. "Where have you been?"

It was then that she noticed the blonde hair and red leather jacket. David noticed her too.

"What happened?" he asked, slowly, the anger clearly forced from his voice in a last minute attempt.

Henry pushed away from them. "I found my real mom!" he yelled then ran inside.

"Henry!" David went after him.

Regina froze, her eyes shutting momentarily. _My real mom._ Pain sliced through her at those words. _My real mom._ His _real_ mother. Taking a breath, the Mayor stood to her full height and looked at the blonde. She shook her head slightly, as not believing what she had just heard.

"You're Henry's birth mother?"

"Hi," the blonde shrugged awkwardly, her expression almost a cringe.

Graham shifted uncomfortably behind them. "I'll just..."

"Let go of me!" she heard Henry scream from inside.

She turned and hurried inside. David was crouched, Henry struggled in his hold.

"Henry Daniel Mills, where the hell have you been?"

She tried to step in. "David-"

"You can't just run off like that! You scared us. Where _the hell_ were you?" he shook him. Henry kept quiet, not talking back for a change. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?" David demanded. "Your mother and I-"

"She's not my mom!" Henry screeched, finally getting out of David's hold. "Emma is."

"Henry," David said warningly.

"She's evil." His dark expression changed to pity. "When the Curse breaks thenyou'll finally understand." Then he ran up the stairs.

"Henry-"

"David, stop," Regina grabbed his arm. "If you go after him now it'll only make things worse. He's worked up. He needs time to calm down." She looked at him. "And quite frankly so do you."

"Regina-"

"Sheriff," she turned to Graham, "could you check on Henry?"

"Sure," he looked between the couple worriedly then made his way up the stairs.

"Regina, you can't just..." David's eyes found the blonde, staring wide-eyed at them from the door post. "You're still here?" He looked back to Regina. "Why is she still here?"

"Calm down," she said authoritatively, taking control of the situation and trying to diffuse the tension before it got out of hand.

Regina laid her hands flat against his chest, rubbing gently until his breathing slowed. Henry's door slammed shut. They heard Graham sigh. David looked up, annoyed, and moved as if to follow him. She set her hand under his chin and turned his face to hers, imploring him with her eyes not to do this now, to just calm down. It felt a bit strange, she had to admit, being the level-headed one for a change. But as of late, David had become increasingly protective over her, and almost always with Henry. His look changed almost immediately, anger gone, replaced by regret and shock. She had her hands on his neck now, simply holding him to look at her. She rested her hands against his chest again, deeming him calm enough. He took a step back and ran a hand over his face, groaning.

Regina looked back at the wide-eyed woman in her foyer. She felt embarrassed for the scene she had just witnessed.

"Emma, was it?"

She nodded. Regina stepped forward to close her front door. Then turned to face the blonde again. David stood by the far mirror, his hand on his neck as he looked at the ground, most likely beating himself up about how he reacted. She looked away from him to the woman who gave birth to her son. Anxiety and tension built within her at that. But the Mayor put on her politician's smile and asked, "How'd you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?"

"We'll need something stronger," David said at the same time Emma asked, "Got anything stronger?"

_**...**_

"How'd he find me?"

"No idea," Regina answered cooly, her words clipped. She handed Emma and David each a tumbler of amber liquid. "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old."

"The agent said it was a closed adoption?" It was phrased as a question but David's tone implied a statement.

Regina nodded. "Records were sealed. I was told-"

"That the mother didn't want anything to do with him," he said, looking directly at Emma before he set his glass down.

"The mother didn't want any contact," Regina rephrased. She placed a hand on his arm and smiled tiredly at Emma.

"You were told right," the blonde assured them.

"And the father?" David asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"There was one," she replied flatly, looking around her distractedly.

_How could anyone be distracted at a time like this?_ Regina wondered. "Do we need to be worried about him?" she asked, nudging the woman to pay attention.

"Nope." Another glance around. "Doesn't even know."

"Do we need to be worried about you?" David asked.

That got her attention. "Absolutely not," she said at once.

"David," Regina sighed, pulling him aside for some privacy. "I think you should sit this one out." She cut off his protests before he could even word them, saying only, "Please."

His eyes flitted between hers unsurely. He nodded after a moment of silent contemplation then set his hand to the back of her head and kissed her temple. "I'll be in the kitchen," he said softly.

"Thank you," she breathed.

He pulled back and squeezed her arm before walking away. Regina turned back to Emma and led her to the study.

"I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life," she sighed, gesturing for Emma to take a seat. "I really don't know what's gotten into him." She sat down on the opposite sofa.

"Kid's having a rough time," she shrugged. "It happens."

"You have to understand ever since I became Mayor balancing things has been tricky." She found herself wanting to explain things, to sway the woman into hearing her out before she took Henry's words to heart. "You have a job, I assume?"

"Uh... I keep busy. Yeah."

"Imagine having another one. That's what it's like being a mom. I love it," she said quickly. "And I'm not doing it alone. I have David. But with our jobs things... Things are challenging. I don't get to spend as much time with him as I'd like. And my work it's... It's stressful. So I end up being the bad guy most days. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil. Do you?"

Emma's eyes widened slightly. "I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing," she reassured.

"What fairytale thing?"

"Oh, you know, his book. How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like the town shrink - Jiminy Cricket."

"I'm sorry," she said slowly, "I really have no idea what you're talking about," Regina admitted.

Her eyes widened at that, surprise that she quickly covered. "You know what, it's none of my business. He's your kid. And I really should be heading back."

Regina stood. "Of course."

_**...**_

He'd calmed down enough to feel embarrassed about how he dealt with Henry and spoke to the blonde woman. He had, if he was being honest with himself, acted like a complete ass. So after Henry's birth mother left, he went into the living room to look for his wife. She was slumped over on the sofa, her elbows on her knees as she looked into the fire.

"Regina-"

"Not right now," she requested softly. David came closer and knelt in front of her. "I don't want to talk."

He ran the back of his thumbs over the front of her hands. "I was actually going to suggest you get some rest, sweetie. You have a council meeting tomorrow," he reminded gently. "Well," he chuckled, looking at his watch, "in a few hours."

"Right." Then she met his eyes. "Do I have to be there?" she asked with a slight whine, like a child who didn't want to go to school.

"No," he shook his head. Absolutely not. If she'd have listened to him, she wouldn't even have needed to schedule those meetings. "Should I let your assistant know you won't be in tomorrow?"

She sighed, shaking her head tiredly. "No." She ran a hand through her hair. He frowned as he noticed it was trembling. "No, I'll be there." She looked at him for a moment, the mess of emotions evident in her glassy and hurt eyes. "Why, David?" she whispered. "Why did he have to run off and find her?" She swallowed. "I'd kill for a drink right about now," she muttered, looking at her hands.

"Regina," he said gently, trying to get her to look at him. "We'll get through this. Okay?" She nodded, still not looking at him. "And if you ever need help covering up the homicide of a certain blonde..."

That got a wry smile out of her. "Oh, I assure you, _Deputy_, your Mayor is perfectly capable of handling that on her own."

"That may be true," he conceded. "But if you were found guilty can you imagine how awkward it would be for me to arrest you?"

"If this is your way of suggesting handcuffs..." she smirked. "I'm not opposed to the idea."

He laughed, and so did she. She relaxed, the tension in her shoulders easing out so that her frame was more relaxed.

"I suddenly find the idea of sleep _very_ welcoming, Nolan," she said with a deep sigh. She stood sleepily, using her hand to stifle a yawn. She leaned into him, her eyes closed but her face tilted up to him. "I can't open my eyes. Carry me to bed?" she joked.

"Okay."

She let out a surprised little yelp when he lifted her, instinctively bringing her arms around his neck. Her eyes were playful and amused. She set the back of her hand to her mouth and yawned. David chuckled warmly at her. To which she responded with a half-hearted glare. He closed the space between their faces and kissed her, a sweet and lingering closed-mouth kiss. When he pulled back she was smiling softly at him then, much to her irritation, yawned again.

"C'mon. Let's get you to bed," he said heading for the stairs. "Before you fall asleep and start drooling on my shirt."

She smacked his arm. "I do not drool," she said indignantly. "In case I," yawn. "In case I fall asleep. Goodnight."

Then she yawned again and mumbled something incomprehensible. He smiled when she rested her head against his chest.

"Night."

By the time he made it to their room, she was out like a light. He placed her down then pulled the covers over her. He grabbed her phone from her bedside table and quickly typed a message to her assistant, asking her to reschedule the meeting from 08:30 to 10:00. He knew it wouldn't really make much of a difference since they had to be up by at least 07:30 to get Henry to school on time. Maybe he could wake up early and drive him to school, let her rest for a bit longer.

He looked at the bedside clock and groaned. The red numbers read: 03:49.

David knelt at her side and carefully removed her heels. He gingerly touched the slight swell on her ankles. Why she still bothered wearing the things, he'd never understand. He kicked off his own shoes and climbed into bed. Sleep claimed him as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

Deputy David Nolan was going on less than four hours sleep for the past two days.

His son was missing - again - and his wife was beyond stressed out. He'd had to talk her out of a panic attack this morning when she'd gone in to find Henry's room empty for the second morning. "Regina, Regina, calm down," he'd soothed, both hands on her head, forcing her to look at him. "Breathe, breathe. In," he demonstrated, "and out," then let it out slowly.

She'd copied him for a few moments then burst into tears, falling into his arm again with how this was her fault, how she should never have waited this long to tell him he was adopted. And though David agreed with that, had told her as much on several occasions, he couldn't repeat it then, couldn't hurt her like that. So he held her as she broke down again, held her as his heart bled.

He calmed her down enough to go into work, promising to find their son and bring him home. He walked into the station, his shoulders weighing heavier with each step. He felt like a failure.

"Graham," David called, "Henry's run away again. I'm gonna..." He saw Emma. "What is she doing here?" He spoke to her, "Do you know where he is?

"Listen, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house, and," she pointed to the bars, "pretty good alibi."

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning."

"Did you try his friends?"

"He doesn't really have any." She gave him a look. "Kind of a loner," he explained.

"Every kid has friends," Emma said thoughtfully. "Did you check his computer? If he was close to someone he'd be emailing them."

"And you know this how?" he asked impatiently.

"Finding people's what I do. Here's an idea; how 'bout you guys let me out, and I'll help you find him."

_**...**_

Henry's room was big, clearly decorated by an imaginative and creative ten-year-old. There was a book shelf filled out with collectors pieces and classics like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. The top shelf held only comics and a few action figures. Model airplanes hung from the ceiling. There were drawings and post-it notes up on the walls by his computer. She walked over to the desk and saw an open sketch book. Emma looked at the drawing, impressed by his talent. Then went to the computer and checked his emails.

"Smart kid," she said looking at the computer screen. "Cleared his inbox. I'm smart too, a little hard disk recovery utility I like to use."

"I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques," the Sheriff said. "Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing."

"You're on salary," she dismissed. "I get paid for delivery. Pounding pavement is not a luxury that I get. Ah, there's a receipt for a website. ..." she read slowly. "It's expensive. He has a credit card?"

David scoffed. "He's ten."

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record. Mary-Margaret Blanchard," she read. "Who's Mary-Margaret Blanchard?"

"Henry's teacher," David answered.

His phone rang. "Excuse me," he said walking out the room. "Regina?" There was a short pause and then, "Kat? Wait, Kathryn, slow down. What happened?" A pause. "WHAT?" He started pacing. "Let me speak to her." The person on the other line spoke. "Is she alright?" he asked, his voice low and concerned. "No, I haven't found him yet," a beat, "Well-" he cut himself off and sighed. "Tell her I'll be right there." Another pause. His voice turned to ice. "Fine."

There was a loud thud, and judging by his expression when he came back into the room, Emma could only assume he threw his phone against the wall.

"Problem?" Graham asked in his accented voice.

David glanced at Emma then turned to Graham, as if he could prevent her from hearing his next words just by ignoring her.

"That was Kathryn. Regina's at the hospital. Something happened at the office. She... She fell. Her doctor's worried, wants to keep her overnight to monitor her, make sure nothing's wrong with the baby-"

"She's pregnant?" Emma blurted.

David looked at her, eyes hard. "Yes," he answered then turned back to Graham.

Emma leaned back in the chair, trying to find any sign of this big news in her encounter with the brunette the previous day. She thought of, "Your Henry's birth mother?" and how her hand rested on her stomach for the briefest of seconds. She thought of apple cider and how only two glasses were poured - one for her and the other for David. Small, telltale signs Emma had completely missed. _Why didn't Henry tell me about this?_ she wondered.

"You heading there then?"

"No. She says she won't see me until I find Henry," he said in frustration. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Graham could you do me a favour and check on her?"

"Sure."

He patted David on the shoulder and left. Only when they heard the front door close did David look at her.

"How far along is she?" Emma asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Six months."

"Six months! But you can hardly tell." He nodded, his expression stony. "Wow."

_**...**_

"Deputy Nolan," Mary-Margaret said, clearly pleasantly surprised. "How nice to see you-"

"Where's my son?" David cut straight to the chase.

"Henry? I assumed he was home with you."

"You think I'd be here if he was?" He tried to sound more patient when he asked, "Did you give him your credit card so he could find her?" He gestured to in the doorway. Emma stood there.

Mary Margaret looked at Emma. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm... I'm his... I'm his m-"

"She's the woman who gave him up for adoption," he cut in.

She was not his mother, no matter what genetics said. She was not his mother. She hadn't been there for the last ten years. She had no right to call or even think of herself as that.

His tone gave Mary-Margaret pause, he noticed.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma asked, looking at the teacher.

"No, unfortunately not," she said as she looked through her purse. "Clever boy," she said under her breath. "I should never have given him that book."

"No," David agreed. "You shouldn't have."

Emma's bows hit her hairline. "You gave him the book?" she asked dumbly. Then she looked at David. "And you knew? But..."

"Regina doesn't," he finished for her.

"Didn't," Emma corrected with a slight cringe.

Well, that was just the cherry on the top wasn't it? He groaned internally. He wanted to keep it from her, to protect her. When his son had come from school with that damned book five months ago, David was the first one he shared it with, the first one to hear about _The Curse_, the first one to hear his wife being torn apart by their nine-year-old, to hear Henry call his mother _evil_. He turned to Emma angrily. Months of careful avoidance undone by some-

"It's just some old stories," Mary-Margaret intervened. "As you well know, Henry is a special boy: so smart, so creative, and as you might be aware," she hesitated before saying, "lonely. He needed it."

"No," David shook his head, "what that boy needs is dose of reality. This is a waste of time. Let's go," he said to Emma.

"Wait, David." He turned around. "You might want to try his castle."

"Castle?" Emma asked dubiously.

"You'll see," he dismissed. "Thank you, Ms. Blanchard."

_**...**_

Emma walked the short distance to the wooden playground. She convinced David to stay in the car while she spoke to Henry. "You're upset right now. You'll say or do something you'll regret," she told him. He agreed with her logic but gave her an icy stare when she suggested he go to the hospital in the meantime and offered to drop Henry off later.

"You left this in my car," she handed Henry the book. She sat down next to him and followed his line of sight. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"

"I was hoping that when I brought you back things would change here," he admitted. "That the final battle would begin."

"I'm not fighting any battles, kid."

"Yes, you are." He looked at her. "You're here because it's your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings."

Emma was growing exasperated. "Can you cut it with the book crap?"

"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me, I can tell," he said with a smile. "You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay; I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."

She took a shaky breath. "How do you know that?"

"The same reason Snow White gave you away."

She took a shaky breath. "Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no Saviour. But you were right about one thing though. I wanted you to have your best chance. And that's not with me," she smiled tearily at him. "C'mon, let's go."

He followed her, pleading. "Please don't take me back there!" he begged again. "Just stay with me for one week, that's all I ask! One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy."

"Your dad's in the car. C'mon."

"You don't know what it's like with them. With _her_," he emphasized. "My life sucks!"

Sucked? His life sucked? This spoil little- How could he not see what he had? A home. Two parents. A mother who looked just about ready to die when he pushed away from her with, "I found my real mom!" And a concerned father who was just looking out for him. She never had any of that. Sucked? His life sucked?

"Oh, you wanna know what sucking is? Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital!" Her words were stained with tears that she couldn't control. "I ended up in a foster system and I had a family until I was three but then they had their own kid so they sent me back..." She took a few deep breaths to collect herself. "Look. Your parents are trying their best. I know it's hard. And I know sometimes you think they don't love you." But they do. "But at least they want you," she said instead.

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway; that's just where you came through."

She was flabbergasted. "What?"

"The wardrobe," he ploughed on. "When you went through the wardrobe you appeared on the side of the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the Curse."

"Sure they were." Emma laughed under her breath. "C'mon, Henry."

He slipped his hand into hers as they walked. She looked to the contact, startled.

_**...**_

David was on the phone, pacing near the car, he wasn't speaking just listening. There seemed to be some relief in his features, Emma saw.

"Okay," she heard him say. His hand was on the back of his neck. "I'm on my way- Yes," he sighed, "I'll bring him." He looked up, his eyes focused sharply on Henry. "He's fine."

His eyes seemed to say, "For now."

David straightened. "Is Kathryn still there? Good. Put her on." A pause. "Yes?" He took a shaky breath, trying to collect himself from whatever the person on the other end said. "I love you too, Regina," he said softly. Emma smiled a little at that. He wiped at his eye. "Kathryn," he said in a different, almost friendly and conversational, tone, "I have favour to ask. Could y-" he laughed a little. "Yeah. Thank you." He hung up and looked at them.

Henry let go of her hand. Emma stuck her hands in her jacket pockets.

"So..." she asked David.

"Thank you for your help today. Ms..."

"Swan," she supplied.

"Ms. Swan," he finished with a curt nod. "Henry," he looked at the boy. His eyes narrowed in on the book. "Give that here." Henry did so begrudgingly. "Car. Now." His voice left no room for negotiation.

He looked at her for a moment, thinking. "Do you need a ride back to... wherever?"

"Uh..." she looked at Henry slumped in the back seat of the cruiser.

Despondent, was the first word that came to mind.

"Yeah."

David nodded, walked to the car and opened the passenger door for her. Emma looked at the open door then at Henry. His eyes were hopeful out the car window. She climbed in the front seat, put her seatbelt on and stared straight ahead. His gaze burnt at the back of her skull.

_**...**_

"You'll be staying with Aunt Kat and Uncle Frederick tonight," David told Henry after Emma got out the car.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

David's lips quirked upward at how much like his mother he sounded. Then he caught his eyes in the rearview, and that amusement faded away.

"Because I don't want you alone at home," he said simply. "Your mother's being kept at the hospital and I'm staying with her."

"Why?" he asked again. "I mean, why's she at the hospital?" he elaborated at David's look.

"The baby," was the only answer he gave.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence. When he pulled up to the house, he turned in his seat and spoke to Henry.

"Go grab your pajamas and school uniform for tomorrow. We're going to the hospital first then you'll go home with Aunt Kat and I'll pick you up tomorrow after school."

Henry scowled at him before he climbed out the car. He slammed the door after himself. David watched him up the walkway in contemplative silence. After a few minutes, Henry stomped out the front door and back to the car.

_**...**_

"There's my little..." she trailed off when Henry marched right past her.

"Don't mind him," he said to Kathryn. "He's in a mood."

She smiled understandingly. "I can watch him for a bit. Give you two some privacy."

"If it's alright?" he asked hopefully. "I know I'm already dumping him on you last minute-"

"It's fine, David. Go," she nudged him toward the hallway. "She's been asking for you."

"Thank you," he said gratefully then went inside the small hospital room.

"David," Regina smiled sleepily at him. Her voice was slightly husky. She sat up in the bed, bringing a hand to her mouth as she stiffled a yawn.

"Hey," he replied, frozen in the doorway for a moment.

Her skin was paler than usual. The top left corner of her head was bruised under the hospital bandage. And that hospital gown made his heat clench. David swallowed and walked to the bed. He sat down on the edge and looked at her.

"You scared me," he said after a moment.

She looked down. "I'm sorry."

He frowned at her answer. David took one of her hands in his. She squeezed back immediately. He let the worry go out of him in a whoosh of air. She smiled apprehensively at him. He shifted on the bed so that he could lift her into his lap. Her arms wrapped around him. Her cheek rested against his chest and his chin above her head. They sat like that for a while, he supposed. Their little bubble of peace turned into a universe, one he didn't want to leave.

A voice popped it.

"Mom?"

David's head snapped to the sound. Henry stood there, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Henry," she looked up. A smile instantly appeared on her face.

He took a step toward her then, as if remembering he was supposed to hate her, stopped.

"What happened?"

Her smile faltered then disappeared completely. "I fell. The baby got hurt. Doctor Whale wants to keep me here for close monitoring."

That was the kid-friendly version. After the council meeting, she fainted in her office, something he couldn't help but feel guilty for. She hadn't eaten or slept well for the past two days, so caught up on their brat of a son. She hit her head of the coffee table and blacked out. Her assistant found her on the floor with blood staining the lower part of her dress and under her in a small puddle. The bleeding was caused by placental abruption, mild, according to Doctor Whale, but because the baby wasn't full term they wanted to keep an eye on her.

"For how long?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully. He wasn't satisfied with that answer. "A few days," she rushed to say, "But hopefully just overnight."

Henry came over then. He stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her thoughtfully.

"Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "He's fine."

He seemed to want to say more then stopped. "I came to say goodnight. Aunt Kat said we're leaving now."

"Oh," she looked up at David, as if to confirm what she was hearing. He nodded. She looked back at Henry. "Goodnight sweetheart." He turned to leave. "Could... Could I get a hug?" she asked softly, swallowing as she watched his back.

_He better turn aroun_d, David thought. Another night of reassurances, he groaned internally. He couldn't take it anymore. The way each word he spoke hurt her, and how he didn't notice or didn't care. He looked at Henry's back, as if sheer willpower could make him do the right thing. Henry finally turned around. Regina moved out of David's embrace and pulled Henry into a tight hug that he didn't bother returning.

"Bye," he said when she let go of him, barely waiting a second before he was out the door.

She got back onto the bed with a slight wince.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she cut him off before he could finish the question. He helped her sit properly on the bed. "You don't have to stay here. I told you that on the phone. You should go home with Henry. He needs-"

"And I told you," he cut her off gently. "That I am staying."

He said it with so much finality that it shut her up. That was a first.


	3. Chapter 3

"The missing pages, where are they?"

Henry turned around to face him, fiddling with his tie. Regina had insisted he leave early that morning to take Henry to school. So he'd arrived at the Knights house to greet a bleary eyed Kathryn when he fetched Henry. Now they were back at the mansion. He'd read the book halfway when Henry had told him about it. And David had nearly finished it last night, then this morning while making coffee he discovered the ripped out pages.

"It's an old book, stuff's missing. What do you care?"

"I care because you think your mother is some evil queen. And that hurts her."

"No, it doesn't," he dismissed carelessly. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. "And she's not my mom."

"Well, then, who is?" he snapped. "That woman you brought here? I don't like what she or this book is doing to you." Henry looked at his feet. "Thankfully they're both no longer an issue. Emma Swan should be halfway to Boston by now."

"I wouldn't count on it," Henry said under his breath, stomping out the front door.

_**...**_

"Emma," she heard Henry call just as she stepped out of Granny's.

"Hey, kid."

He grinned at her. "You stayed."

"Yeah..." She had wanted to leave last night but her car was in the shop. She'd slammed it pretty hard into the sign. She looked away from the hopeful boy for a moment. "Don't you have school?"

"Duh. I'm ten. Walk me?"

He started walking back the direction he came from.

"How's your mom?" she asked, remembering what had happened.

"Doesn't matter," he said quickly, excitedly turning to her. "We need to talk about the Curse. Figure out how-"

"What's the deal with you and your mom?"

He missed her tone. Emma decided to let it go and just listen to him. "It's not about us," Henry said animatedly, waving his hands as he spoke, "it's about her Curse." "We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one: identification. I call it, _Operation Cobra_."

"Cobra?" she exclaimed. "That has nothing to do with fairytales."

"Exactly," his smile grew wider, "it's a code name. It'll throw the Evil Queen off our trail."

"So, everyone here is a fairytale character, they just don't know it."

_Was this a metaphor or something?_ she wondered.

"Yip," he nodded. "That's the Curse. Time's been frozen. Until you got here."

"Right," she said, dragging out the 'i' sound. "So if your mom's the Queen-"

"Evil Queen," he reminded.

"Yeah." She shifted uncomfortably. "If she's the _Evil_ Queen... Who's your dad?"

Henry's smile dropped. He stopped walking backwards and just looked at her, as if deciding whether or not she could be trusted. She found that odd after everything he'd shared with her so far. He nodded, as if just reaching that same conclusion.

"He's _your_ dad. He's Prince Charming." Emma almost laughed. "It was part of her revenge against Snow White. Marrying him."

"So... my dad is married to your mom?" she asked, amused. "Wouldn't we be step-siblings, then?" she joked.

Henry made a face then thought about it for a moment. "No," he shook his head. "They're not really married. It's just the Curse. And you're my mom. Not her. So that would make David my grandfather."

Emma gaped at him, she couldn't believe he believed this. Satisfied with his answer, he started walking again. She took that as her cue to follow him. "Okay... Um, uh, alright," she tried to change the topic. "What about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything and you'll see."

"So... for decades, people have been walking around, in a haze, not aging, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious."

He smiled again. "I knew you'd get it! That's why we need you, you're the only one who can break her Curse."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?" she said slowly, skeptically.

"Yes! And right now, we have the advantage. They don't know that."

"They?" she asked confused. "I thought it was just the Evil Queen."

"David believes he's married to her," he said patiently. "So he's on her side for now. He took my book." He brought his backpack in front of him and unzipped it. "But I took out the end," he handed the pages to her, "the part with you in it."

Emma looked at it. There was a picture of a man placing a baby in a wardrobe. The baby was in a blanket with the name 'Emma' clearly visible.

"See?" he asked hopefully. "Your mom is Snow White!"

"Kid..."

"I know the hero never believes at first, if they did, it wouldn't be a very good story," he said that last bit like it was a secret. "If you need proof, take them, read them. But whatever you do, don't let her see these pages. They're dangerous. If she finds out who you are... then it would be bad," he said in a scared voice. "I gotta go," he said as they approached the school, "but I'll find you later and we can get started. I knew you'd believe me!"

"I never said I did!" Emma yelled back.

He ran backward. "Why else would you be here?" Then he turned and ran for the entrance.

Mary-Margaret turned around, surprised, and walked over to Emma. "It's good to see his smile back."

Emma shrugged, "I didn't do anything."

"You stayed," the school teacher pointed out.

"My car's in the shop."

"Oh..." the teacher's smile faltered. "So you are leaving, then?"

"Yeah," Emma said. Henry stood by the gates. He was talking to a young girl in a pink beanie. How could a kid so kind and good be so harsh and uncaring toward his own mother? "Can I ask you something?" The teacher nodded. "What's the issue between him and his mom? The whole _Evil Queen_ thing?"

Mary-Margaret arched an eyebrow at her, as if the answer were obvious. "Well, she's the Mayor. Been Mayor for as long as I can remember. No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. She inspires quite a bit of... well, fear."

"Right," Emma said, still not fully convinced. Henry disappeared into the school. Her eyes went back to the teacher. "Who does he think you are?"

Mary-Margaret laughed, looking down. "It's silly..."

Emma let out a light laugh. "I just got five minutes of silly. Lay it on me."

She shook her head, laughing under her breath, then said, "Snow White."

The school bell rang, contrasting the dumbfounded silence that ran through Emma Swan's brain.

"Who does he think you are?" Mary-Margaret asked conversationally.

"I'm not in the book."

_**...**_

"Easy."

David held his arms out to brace her. She scowled at him but allowed him to place an arm around her waist when she swayed slightly on her feet.

"No," she said in a deadly tone.

He shared a look of frustration with the nurse who pushed in the wheelchair.

"Regina-"

"No." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I refuse to be carted around like some cripple."

"Regina!" he admonished.

She seemed to remember where she was and at least had to decency to look slightly apologetic for a second.

"I'm not getting in that." She jutted out her chin. "I can walk."

"Well, it's either that," he gestured to the wheelchair, "or I'm carrying you."

She leveled him with a disbelieving look accompanied by an amused laugh. It faded when she realised he wasn't joking. Her scowl reappeared.

"Your choice."

_**...**_

"David," she rolled her eyes. "I'm pregnant. Not incompetent."

"And I'm concerned," he shot back. "I know you can do things. But the point of me being here is so that you don't have to. So stop being unreasonable-"

"Unreasonable?" she challenged, her brow arched.

"Yes," he groaned, hands in the air. "You are being unreasonable, Regina. It's _bed rest. _Not a prison sentence."

"Might as well be," she muttered.

They got home half an hour ago. He sent her upstairs to get some rest. She insisted she wasn't tired (which wasn't true because she barely slept at the hospital, he could hear her tossing and turning then crying with her back to him) and came back downstairs, her clothes changed. She was now wearing black leggings and a dark blue cardigan over a simple white top. She'd finally admitted defeat and taken off the heels and now wore only white ankle socks.

Then she'd proceeded to her home office and he'd had to practically drag her away from the desk.

"You want to confine me to one room," she huffed.

"I'm not _confining_ you," David said in exasperation as he followed her into the kitchen.

He stopped in his tracks. She opened the cereal on the counter and began eating it straight from the box. It was some sugary rubbish Henry requested that he forgot to pack away this morning.

"What?" she said, mouth full. "I'm hungry."

The look she gave him dared him to say something. He couldn't. He was frozen, still not quite believing what he was seeing. She devoured another handful. He shook his head slightly.

"We have other food, y'know." He leaned on the counter across from her. "Maybe we could get something from Granny's." She shook her head. "You sure?" She nodded and continued happily munching. He watched her for a few moments longer. "I don't know how," he told her, "but you are both infuriating and endearing." She smiled and reached in for another handful. "You don't want a bowl?" he teased. She shot him a look then made a little whine when her hand came up empty. She turned around and started rummaging through the cupboards. She stood on her tiptoes. He wanted to go help her but was too amused.

She slammed the cupboard door closed. "How do we only have one box of cereal?" she asked, her tone outrageous.

"Maybe because, Henry's the only one who eats it?" he suggested innocently.

With a huff she turned to the fridge. "There's nothing to eat."

He leaned forward to take a look. The fridge was overstocked.

"There's plenty," he said in a voice that clearly translated to, "You're kidding, right?"

"Fine. There's nothing that I want to eat," she corrected. Her eyes lit up. "But as you so graciously pointed out, you are here to attend my very whim."

"That's not what I-"

She waved him off. "I want chocolate. No," she thought for a second, "ice-cream. Rocky Road."

This was one of the things he'd been told to expect when they found out they were expecting - the cravings. Only, he'd forgotten about it until now. Regina had never actually embraced the pregnancy, still did everything the way she usually would, so much so that it regularly shocked people to find out she was pregnant.

Her hand trailed down to rest on her stomach, his eyes followed the contact and a smile played out on his lips.

"Anything else?" he asked amused.

"Onion rings," she moaned. "And a milkshake. Vanilla. No... Yes, vanilla. Peanut brittle. And..." she trailed off, shaking her head slightly at herself. "I'm being ridiculous," she laughed. "I'll just make a sandwich." She reached for the bread.

"You will do no such thing," he closed the fridge and stepped in front of her. "You are going to go into the living room and make yourself comfortable. And you're going to relax until I get back with everything on your list. Now, was there anything else you wanted?"

_**...**_

Emma couldn't help but feel more lost than before as she walked back to Granny's. She couldn't get Henry out of her mind. She wanted so badly to help him but didn't know how. As she turned to walk down the street, a police car pulled up in front of her, its siren blaring.

"What's with the siren?"

The Sheriff - Graham - stepped out of the cruiser. "It's so hard to get your attention."

"Alright, well you got it."

"I wanted to thank you for your help with finding Henry yesterday. And make you an offer." Emma raised her brows expectantly. "How'd you like a job? As deputy."

Emma laughed. "Then you'd have two."

"You're resourceful," he said. "I could use that."

She shook her head. "Thank you, but I have a job.

"As a bail bondsperson?" He looked around, as if to make a point. "There's not much of that going on here."

"I don't see a lot of sheriffing going on around here either," she countered.

"Well, here's your chance to see it up close." She made a face. "There's dental," he added. "Why don't you think about it and stay awhile."

_**...**_

He watched, oddly fascinated, when she took the peanut brittle, caramel sauce and chocolate chips and added it all to the ice-cream.

"Thank you," she said after her third mouthful, sparing him only a glance before she ate another spoonful, moaning at the taste.

David found himself just looking at her, barely paying attention to what was on TV. She was watching some documentary about post-renaissance artifacts found in middle Europe. Strange, but he could never understand her tastes.

He put an arm around her shoulders. She curled into him and they shared a small smile. She focused on the screen again. He ran his hands through her hair as they watched and she shared spoonfuls of ice-cream with him every once in a while.

The documentary was interesting, he had to admit. But the narrator had a voice that could put a herd of sugar-high toddlers to sleep in seconds.

He smiled at the idea of another toddler running through the house, wrecking everything in his path. He thought of orange crayon markings on the walls, a wide-eyed Regina staring at a proud three-year-old Henry, grinning ear to ear at his work of art. He thought of spilled apple juice and trampled animal crackers on the floor, a red-faced boy in a blue high-chair, refusing to eat anything because of teething pains. Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches for Father's Day breakfast. Trips to the station with his boy in the back seat, pretending to be Batman, talking on his imaginary radio. He thought of morning cartoons and stuffed toys, and couldn't wait to do it all again.

A hum came from his right. He looked at Regina. He hoped their child would look like her. That same eyes and hair, the same disapproving pout and crossed arms. Another little boy. His smile turned into a grin.

She looked up. "What?"

"We're going to have a baby," he whispered excitedly, pressing a hand to her stomach.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, really, David? I had no idea."

"It just never hit me until now," he admitted with grin. "Another little boy." She shook her head at him. "I can't wait. Do you remember what Henry was like as a baby? All the crying?" he laughed.

Henry had been a nightmare and back then David had only babysat him.

She cringed. "I don't think I'm ready for all that again. The bottles, the diapers, the late nights, the... temper tantrums. I remember not sleeping for an entire week once. And having to go through more shirts in a day than I'd usually wear in a week."

"Even then you loved it. I remember watching you as you rocked him in the nursery... I don't think I've ever seen you look more peaceful." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Or more beautiful."

She smiled and his gaze immediately dropped to her mouth then to her top, she wasn't wearing anything under it, he saw. He scolded himself. She had just been discharged from hospital. And not even willingly. She'd kicked up such a fuss that the doctors had given the green light just to get rid of her. His gaze snapped up to hers again. Her chocolate eyes were smiling warmly at him, lovingly. She brought her hand to his cheek, caressing it with a soft smile. "I love you," she said before she guided his mouth to hers. He kissed her slowly, his fingers curling in her hair as he deepened the kiss. She tasted like ice-cream, chocolaty and sweet. "I love you too," he said when they parted the first time. Her hands found the lapels of his shirt and brought him closer. He threaded his fingers through her hair and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. They parted with a smile, his forehead resting against hers. He looked between them at the little bump then lowered himself to press a kiss to it.

"I can't wait to meet you," he told their child.

She laughed, her fingers lightly scratching over the back of his neck.

_**...**_

They were sitting on the old playground - his castle, as he called it.

Henry had his storybook open in front of him, showing her a picture of Prince Charming. "See?" he asked, pointing out the scar before they'd even sat down. And, she had to admit, it looked a lot like David's one.

"She's keeping them apart with the marriage. Now they're stuck without each other. We have to tell Ms. Blanchard that we found her Prince Charming."

"Okay, kid," she rushed to explain, "telling someone their... _soul mate_ is alive and out there is all well and good. But your dad is married. To your mom," she stressed.

She never thought she'd have to explain to a child why breaking up their parents' marriage was a bad idea.

"But he belongs with Snow White," Henry insisted. "She's his true love. Regina's only using him to get back at her. You have to help me. We have to get them back together. To remember each other again."

"And how do you intend to make that happen?" Emma played along.

"That's where you come in," he smirked. "I can't come up with all the ideas."

"Kid." Emma took a minute to think how to ask this politely. "When did you get your book?"

He lit up. Probably excited that she was taking an interest in his theories. "A few months ago. Why? You think the timing's-"

"And when did you find out you were adopted?"

He frowned, clearly taken aback. "Before that. Why?"

"Before they told you about the baby too?" she pressed.

"No."

He was agitated with this line of questioning. But Emma kept pushing. "Give me a timeline here kid."

He groaned. "Why? This isn't important. It has nothing to do with the Curse. Or how to defeat her!"

Emma took a moment. Then decided the best way to get answers was to play along. "No," she agreed. "But it does help me understand things better. You want me to help, right?"

"Fine," he snapped. "Baby, adopted then book." He stood. "Happy now?" Then he stormed off the playground, which was really difficult to do because his options included a wooden ladder and a slide. And he chose the slide.

_**...**_

The doorbell shot through the silent house like a bullet. David jerked awake, which woke Regina, who had rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'll get it," she said, voice groggy.

He watched her go, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at his watch. And saw that it was almost four. Shit. Henry.

He jumped off the couch, only to see the boy walk into the kitchen. His mood clearly sour. His footsteps loud and sulking.

"Hey, bud," he said leaning against the doorframe. "I'm sorry I forgot to fetch you."

"It's okay," he said after slurping some orange juice straight from the carton.

Concern pulled at him. He stepped into the kitchen. "You didn't walk home by yourself, did you?"

"No. Emma dropped me off."

He grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl on the counter and a bag of pretzels from the snack cupboard then went upstairs without another word.

_**...**_

"Thank you," Regina said after Henry went inside.

"It's nothing. Kid needed a ride."

"No, not just for today. For yesterday, as well, for finding him."

"Again, no problem."

"And the day before," Regina said. "For driving him all the way from Boston in the middle of the night. Thank you. Truly."

She shifted uncomfortably. "You're welcome."

"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you," she said with a small smile, her hand resting on her womb.

Emma laughed a little. "You know it seems kind of crazy. The night he found me... It was my birthday. And when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, I actually made a wish. That I didn't have to be alone on my birthday. And then Henry showed up-"

"I hope there's no misunderstanding here."

Emma's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't mistake all of this as invitation back into his life."

Understanding dawned on the blonde. "Oh..."

"Ms. Swan, you made a decision ten years ago. And in the last decade, while you've been... Well, who knows that you've been doing," she said off-handedly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured _every_ tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but _Henry_ is _my_ son."

Emma raised her palms in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was not..." She shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean then?" Regina asked sarcastically.

"I, uh... Look," she said, "He asked me to stay the week. And I think I'm gonna. Henry's an interesting kid. I just wanna spend some time with him, make sure he's okay."

"He's fine," Regina was going to say but she was cut off before she even opened her mouth.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," David said, suddenly behind her. "Henry has enough issues, he doesn't need you confusing him." Regina looked up at him sharply at the word _issues_. "You have no legal right to Henry," he went on, "and you're gonna be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car," he pointed to it, "and leave."

"Or what?" Emma asked, almost daringly.

_**...**_

"What the hell was that?" she demanded, closing the study door behind them.

"What?"

"You threatened our son's mother."

"Biological mother," he corrected.

"What was that?" she asked angrily. "What were you thinking, David?"

"What was I thinking?" he repeated. "She was overstepping. She has no right to him."

"She gave birth to him. I think she's allowed some curiosity about the people raising her son."

"Henry is our son. Not hers. Ours."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Thank you for clearing that up, David," she said sarcastically. "And, what the hell did you mean by _issues_?"

It was his turn for disbelief. "I think we need to revisit that conversation."

"No." She turned for the door.

"You can't keep putting this off, Regina," he said after her. "He needs to be put in line. He needs help."

She spun to face him. "I'm not sending my son to a shrink," she said angrily. "There's nothing wrong with him."

"He's delusional. He believes everyone in this town is under some curse. It's insane. He-"

"He's ten!" she exclaimed. "He's just a little boy-"

"With issues we can't help him with," he said in frustration. Couldn't she see that? "We need to do what's best for him, Regina."

"And you think that sending him to some quack-"

"Will help him deal with whatever he's going through? Yes," he said slowly. "I do."


	4. Chapter 4

"They're putting me in therapy," he told her that morning.

To say Emma was surprised would be an understatement. She thought the kid was already in therapy.

"Maybe... it's not such a bad idea," she tried. "Y'know, talking to someone..."

The look he gave her said, "Not you too."

"Don't you see what she's doing? She's trying to trick me into telling Archie what I know about the curse. She's gathering intel to stop us from figuring out how to break the curse."

Henry looked at her excitedly, his brows raised in expectation.

Emma was hit with a weird sense of deja vu.

"Henry, Doctor... Archie?"

"No." He made a face. "His last name's Hopper. See, Hopper... like a cricket."

She rolled her eyes. "Doctor Hopper won't tell your parents anything. There's a little something called doctor-patient confidentiality. Ask him about it later." He huffed. "When's your first session?"

"Tonight at 5:30," he mumbled, looking at his feet. "Regina's taking me." He stopped walking when they were just across the street from his school.

"Hey," she said, crouching in front of him. "It's gonna be okay."

"Yeah..." he said, unconvinced. He scuffed his shoe against the pavement.

"Henry," she said softly. He looked up. "Just give it a try. And if it really sucks, speak to your parents about it. I'm sure they won't make you continue if you don't want to."

"Yeah..." he said again. "I'm sure you're right." His tone implied anything but. "Are we still gonna hang out after school?"

"Yeah," she smiled, glad for the change in topics. "Sure. I'll see you then." She stood and began walking away.

"So you don't think I'm crazy?"

She turned around. "No," she said after a moment.

He eyed her distrustfully for a second then seemed to accept her answer. She was caught by surprise when he hugged her. Emma stumbled back a little then caught herself, wrapping an arm around his back.

"I knew you'd believe," he mumbled against her. "I knew you were here to help me."

"You're right, kid. I am." He stepped back to look at her. "And nothing. Not even a curse..." she joked. Bad joke, she realised when his eyes lit up and he smiled at her. "...is gonna stop that."

_**...**_

Emma walked over to her car. "Seriously?" she exclaimed when she noticed the boot on her front tyre. She'd just gotten her bug back from the mechanic this morning.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Emma spun around. Regina stood there, her lips pursed.

"I suppose I should apologize," she sighed. "That's just David being a... well being himself."

The way she said it made Emma think something similar might have happened to her.

She joked, "What, this happen to you too?"

Her eyes focused on Emma. "Speeding ticket."

Her eyes widened. "You're kidding?" Regina shook her head. Emma laughed. That seemed to relieve the brunette, who offered a smile.

"Ms. Swan, I was wondering if you'd care to join me for breakfast? My treat."

"Why?" Emma asked cautiously.

"I think we should talk," she said simply.

Emma continued staring at her, waiting for her to elaborate. Regina only blinked.

"Alright," Emma sighed.

_**...**_

Regina sat across from her in the booth, absently folding the paper napkin in her perfectly polished and manicured hands.

"I'd like to start by apologizing, Ms. Swan," she said.

Her gaze snapped up. "You already did that," Emma pointed out.

"Not only about the car," she clarified. She looked nervous. "For my behaviour last night. And David's," she said, clearly irritated with him. "It was... It was uncalled for. I overreacted." She looked down. Emma followed her eyes and realised she was looking at her middle. "I can't imagine being in your place. It would be too difficult." She cleared her throat. "I think... I think David and I are just going to have to accept the reality that you're curious about Henry. That you want to be here."

Emma gave a small, relieved smile. "That's right. I do."

"Good," she smiled. "But if your objective is to take Henry from me-"

"Woah," Emma rushed, "let's get one thing straight here. I'm not here to take him from anyone. I know I'm not a mother. I think that's pretty self-evident, but I did have him, and like you said I'm curious about him. I can't help it I..." She trailed off, not knowing how to explain herself. "He got in my head," she said. "And I want to make sure he's okay. Especially after seeing how..." Emma trailed off. She remembered the look Regina gave David when he said _issues_. "...troubled," she settled on, "he is."

Regina rolled her eyes as if to say, "Not you too."

Deja vu again.

Emma's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and looked at the caller ID. "Excuse me," she said to Regina before sliding out of the booth and walking to the bathroom.

_**...**_

"Here you go," Ruby placed a cup of cocoa in front of Emma as soon as she sat down again.

"Thank you... but I did not order that."

"I did," Regina said, taking a sip of her ice tea. "I hope you don't mind."

"Cinnamon?" Regina looked up from her glass. "How'd you know?"

She smiled. "Henry likes cinnamon too."

"Oh." Emma took a sip

"How was your walk with him?" she asked conversationally. Emma looked up sharply. "It's alright," Regina assured with a slight chuckle. "I don't mind."

"You don't?"

"Not since you've assured me your motives are purely out of concern." She took another sip. "You should make the most of your time with Henry."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Regina arched an eyebrow, confused. "You said he asked you to stay the week, right?"

"Right," Emma said, remembering.

Ruby approached, notepad in hand. "Right, so what'll it be?"

They gave their orders and waited in a silence that was only slightly awkward, broken in between by Emma's curious questions about Henry and Regina's answers which she told with a slightly proud smile, and then by Ruby when she came back with their food.

"Enjoy," she said in a tone that was somehow both cheerful and sarcastic.

Emma watched the petite woman dig into her plate as soon as it was placed in front. She looked like she'd been starved her entire life. Emma shook her head, amused, and picked up her own cutlery. The rest of the meal passed by in relative silence.

"I should be getting to the office," Regina said as soon as Ruby cleared the table.

"Shouldn't..." Emma hesitated for a moment. "Look, I know it's not my place or anything. But shouldn't you be at home resting or... or whatever?"

"No," she said with that same smile she used when offering apple cider. She searched through her purse then placed a few bills on the table. "Thank you. For your company." She stood. "It was... oddly refreshing." She glanced down at the cup in front of Emma. "Enjoy the rest of your cocoa."

Emma sat for a moment longer, still not convinced she hadn't hallucinated the whole encounter. The woman was oddly... nice, especially for an adoptive parent. And for someone whose son called her evil. Well, at least last night made sense now - the threats was just her defensiveness and the end result of a lot of stress.

Emma stood and accidently spilt cocoa on herself. "Ugh, really?"

Ruby rushed over with a towel and handed it to Emma. "Eesh."

Emma wiped at her top in frustration. "Do you have a laundry room I can use?" she asked with a huff.

"Mhm," Ruby nodded.

_**...**_

"Hey," he smiled as she opened the door, holding the takeout bag under his arm. He placed it on the coffee table by the couch then went to her again, bending to press a kiss to her stomach. "Hello, little one," he cooed. Then stood and tried to kiss her. She stepped back.

"We need to talk."

Shit. He knew that look, that tone. "About what?" he asked, staging an oblivious smile as he set his hands about her waist and pulled her closer.

"Emma Swan."

He pulled a face at that and allowed her to step away from him.

"More specifically," she said in the scolding voice she used on Henry, "the boot on her front tyre."

_No use in denying it_, David thought with a sigh. He shrugged. She had a bunch of papers in her hand and whacked his shoulder with them.

"I cannot believe you did something so juvenile, David." He chuckled. "It's not funny."

"It is a little." Her pointed look sobered him up. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She crossed her arms over her chest. "We agreed to be civil. For Henry's sake."

He took a step toward her. "Regina-"

"No, if you keep pushing her. She'll push back. And the only one who will get hurt is Henry."

"Hey, hey," he placed his hands on her forearms. "Sweetie, I said I'm sorry."

"Oh and that's supposed to appease me? You deliberately went against a decision _we_ made. Together." She stepped out of his hold. "He wants her in his life. We can't just ignore that. And I think... I think we have to allow him this chance."

"Fine," he said, dragging out the word in exasperation. "I'll play nice." She let him come closer then. "It's only for a week, right?" he asked, just then bringing his arms around her.

She smiled a little. "Thank you."

_**...**_

"Hey, kid." Emma looked at her watch. "You're out early," she noted. "You ditch school or something?"

"No," he laughed. "It's Friday. So..." he smiled up at her, rolling on the balls of his feet. "What do you wanna do?"

"Huh?"

She looked up from the few notes she had of Ashley Boyd. It was mostly just some questions she'd asked her friends and family earlier that day. And a picture of her on Gold's night vision security camera.

"You said we'd hang out," he reminded, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"Aww, kid," she looked at him apologetically. "I wish I could, but there's something I gotta do."

"What?"

She told him about Gold, him asking her to find Ashley because she'd stolen something from him. Henry's curiosity got the best of him and he fired off question after question.

"Wait," he cut her off, taking a seat opposite her. "Step-mom and two step-sisters?" He arched a brow at her. Emma nodded. "Don't you see? She's Cinderella," he exclaimed, clearly impressed with having figured it out.

"Kid," Emma sighed. "Not now."

He slumped back in his seat, thinking.

"Emma?"

"Yeah?" she said, frowning at the pages as she thought.

"Is she pregnant?" Emma looked up. "The maid. Is she pregnant?"

"Yeah, why?"

"'Cause-"

"Henry!" They both looked to David, who was approaching them. "Where were you? I told you I was picking you up today."

"Sorry," Henry said sheepishly. "I forgot."

David let out a breath, clearing trying to calm down. "It's alright, I forgot yesterday." Henry went to his side. David ruffled his hair. "C'mon let's get home and see if we can beat level 5."

"Okay." Henry practically bounced with excitement as he went to the car.

"Henry." He stopped and looked at him. "Say goodbye to Emma," David tilted his head in her direction.

"Oh." He smiled. "Bye Emma."

"Bye kid."

David turned to Emma. "Regina said you two spoke." She nodded. "And while I don't agree with her decision... I'll go with it."

"What decision?"

"About you spending time with Henry. But it's on _my_ terms. You can walk him to school in the mornings and back home every afternoon. That's a given. But anything else you'll have to ask permission for. He'll see you Monday."

"But... that's two days from now." Three if you counted today. "Can't I see him tomorrow? Maybe I could take him for lunch or something?"

"You'll see him Monday," he repeated then turned and left.

_**...**_

David grabbed his keys, gun and holster from the counter. "Right, you know I hate to leave you alone like this. But, none of your usual sitters are free and there's an emergency at the station."

"I could stay with Emma."

David's response was immediate: "Not happening." He stepped into the living room. Henry was sitting at the table reading a comic book. "Now what are the rules?" he asked, putting on his holster.

Henry put the book down. "Yes on homework, no on TV, and stay inside."

David's eyes narrowed. "Those are your mom's rules."

"So then yes on TV?" he smirked.

David nodded. "Sure, you've got a wizard to beat. But under no circumstance do you leave this house."

"You mean don't see my mom."

"Henry," he said warningly.

He slumped back in his seat. "Sorry."

David sighed. "I don't know how long I'll be, but your _mother_ will be home at 5:00. Sharp."

_**...**_

Henry smirked, went over to the window and watched as David pulled out the driveway. Then he went back into the living room, pulled his bag onto his shoulders and walked out the front door.

_**...**_

"Hey, kid," Emma called from the car. He turned at the gate to look at her. "You know what you said? About me being the only one able to leave?" He nodded, not liking where this was going. "I'll see you soon."

He smiled and ran inside, the gate slamming closed behind him. He ran up the stairs and into his bedroom, one shoe slipping off in his hurry. He heard the front door open.

"Henry?" he heard Regina call. "Woah," there was a fumbling noise, like someone who just missed a step. "Henry!" Her voice was angry. "What did I say?"

He quickly grabbed a comic book and pretended to read it just before the door opened.

"Do not... leave your things laying around on the stairs," she said, lifting the shoe. "Someone could get hurt."

He just looked at her over the comic. Her face softened after a moment and she walked to him. She placed the shoe on his bed. "You might want to find the other one," she joked. "Do you feel like going to Granny's? Or maybe we could order pizza. There's ice-cream in the freezer," she offered. "We can have that after, for desert."

"What about Dad?"

She sat down on the bed and flicked her hair. "He's still at the station."

Her hand settled on her stomach. Something green and ugly bubbled up in Henry. She started rubbing at the bump distractedly.

"So what do you think? Pizza and ice-cream here or burgers and apple pie at Granny's?"

"I'm not hungry."

He looked back at his comic. He focused on Thor, how he swung his hammer and summoned the Bi-frost.

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Alright." Another pause. "Be ready in twenty. For your session."

He glared at her back as she left his room.

_**...**_

Henry walked into Doctor Hopper's office, feeling slightly nervous.

"Hello, Henry," Archie said, smiling warmly.

"Hi."

Henry sat down.

"How are you feeling, today?"

"Fine."

Henry noticed an umbrella and picked it up.

"I'm not crazy," he told the doctor. "The Curse is... nevermind."

Archie looked at him for a moment then wrote something down.

"You know, that umbrella is kind of my good luck charm," he said. "Is that why you think I'm Jiminy Cricket?"

"No." Henry placed the umbrella onto the table. "I don't think you're anyone," he lied.

He wasn't going to tell them anything. He wasn't going to let them trick him.

"Alright," he said patiently. "How are you feeling?"

Henry looked at him oddly for a second. "I'm fine," he said again.

Archie smiled. "How are things at home?" Henry just looked at him. "You're getting a new sibling."

Henry scoffed. The baby. Why did everyone want to talk about the baby?

"That must be pretty exciting," the doctor nudged.

"Yeah..."

"You're not excited about the baby?" he asked politely, like the answer didn't really matter.

Henry narrowed his eyes at him. What were they hoping to do with that information? He expected questions about the curse, not his feelings.

"No."

Archie scribbled something on his notepad.

"What are you writing down? Are you gonna show them that later?"

"No, Henry," Archie assured. "It's just some notes. Whatever we talk about won't leave this room."

"Promise?"

He smiled patiently. "I promise."

_**...**_

"He's home. He's safe. What more do you want?" she sighed.

She was on the couch, her eyes closed in exhaustion and fingers on either side of her temples. He was pacing up and down the length of the living room.

"David," she snapped. "Stop that. You're giving me a migraine."

He stopped right in front of her. "There should be some sort of punishment in place," he said again. "He ran away. He has to know that's not okay. That he can't just sneak out of the house in the middle of the night and hop a bus to Boston whenever he feels like it!"

"I know," she sighed. "But grounding him wouldn't be appropriate. He was hurt-"

"Yes, but that doesn't justify-"

"His behaviour? No, it doesn't. But he already thinks we're making him go to therapy as punish-"

"But it isn't!" She looked up sharply at that. "It's not. It's for his own good."

She tugged on his hand. He sat down next to her. Sighing, Regina turned to face him. "You know that. I know that. But he... doesn't. He's a child. He's not going to understand things right now. Like you said, he's going thr-"

"That's another thing I don't get. Why doesn't he just talk to us?"

She let out a bark of laughter. "Why would he? You're too worked up to listen to him calmly. And I'm the _Evil Queen_, remember," she said with a self-depreciating shrug.

His brows furrowed. "Hey-"

She shook her head "I'm not getting into _that_ tonight, David. All I'm saying is... Is that you were right. Therapy was the right decision. Maybe it will help him understand things a bit better, help him deal with whatever he's going through or to share it with us." A pause. "Grounding him would be counterproductive to that strategy."

David sat quiet for the next few moments, thinking.

"Nothing to add?" she drawled.

His eyes snapped to hers. "No, I... I just... You said I was right."

She rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself. It's happened before."

"Yes, but you've never actually _said_ it," he laughed. She opened her mouth to speak. He cut her off. "Not that explicitly anyway."

_**...**_

"And?" Emma asked expectantly. "How was it? Did they make you take a polygraph or something?"

"A what?" Henry's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Nevermind," she laughed.

"It was... It was fine," he told her. He looked around. "Where's my mom?"

"She called me to pick you up," Emma said cheerfully. Henry pushed aside the part of him that was wondering why. "I thought we could hang out for a little bit. Maybe go to the arcade?" She stopped walking and looked at him. "There are one of those around here, right?"

"Yes," he laughed. "C'mon. I'll show you where it is." He took her hand. "We can play whack-a-mole," he said excitedly. "It's my favourite."

"Okay, kid. Lead the way."


	5. Chapter 5

**I**n an unexpected moment of courage, Emma admitted a key truth to herself: she wasn't going to leave. And it wasn't just about Henry asking her to stay. It was that she actually wanted to be in his life. She cared about him. And he was, after all, her son. With that reasoning, Emma Swan picked up her phone and dialed Graham's number. She'd come close to phoning about fifty times since he offered her the job, but had chickened out before she hit the call icon.

It rang once.

Twice.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she shouldn't have called him. Who was she kidding? Henry was fine. He was in therapy now, soon he'd see that this fairytale obsession wasn't real. And he wouldn't need her. Who would she be then? If not the Saviour in his eyes? Who would she be? Just the woman who gave him up. Maybe she should hang up before he answered.

At that exact moment, as if the universe could read her thoughts, Graham picked up.

"Hello?" he said on the other end.

"Graham," she cleared her throat, "it's Emma. I was thinking..." She shook her head and scolded herself for her cowardice. "Is that deputy job still open?" she asked, biting the bullet.

"Absolutely."

Emma let out a breath. "Then I'm in. Is David gonna be okay with this?"

Graham laughed. "He'll have to be, it's my department.

"When do I start?"

There was a shuffling noise on the other end and then, "How about today?"

_**...**_

To Graham's defense, he had told David when he offered her the job. And although it irked him, David had never given any real thought to it. He never thought she'd actually take it.

Though, he supposed he should have when she'd extended her week's stay. He'd been so irritated that he even called Granny's to remind her about their _No Felons_ rule but the old woman had remained neutral and informed him that the blonde had found somewhere else to stay.

And now she'd found a job too.

Which meant she was gonna be in Storybrooke for a while, David thought, groaning internally.

"A tie?" she asked, holding the brown shirt up in front of her. "You know, you don't have to dress a woman like a man to give her authority."

Graham raised his eyebrows. "So you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat?"

Emma threw the shirt down. "I'm getting you to do what I want right now." She nodded to David. "And he doesn't wear a uniform."

It had been less than a few hours and already David had run out of patience for their flirting, no matter how subtle it was.

"Well, I wear the badge," David interrupted. "And so should you. If you really want to be a part of this community, you have to make it official."

Emma took the badge from his offered hand with something that looked like pride, then clipped it onto her belt. At that exact moment a loud tremor shook the office. Then, just as abruptly as it started, it stopped. Car alarms went off outside. A second later they were followed by the telephones, all ringing at once.

_**...**_

Sessions with Archie had become sort of a norm for Henry. He had sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30. It wasn't as bad as he'd expected and Archie was actually a pretty good listener. Henry sometimes thought about recruiting him for Operation Cobra.

"You weren't always a cricket," Henry told him that Thursday.

Archie looked up from his notes. It didn't bother him that much anymore. Henry hardly even noticed it.

"I wasn't al... Oh right, because I'm... because you think I'm Jiminy Cricket." He looked at Henry thoughtfully for a moment. "Why... Why do you... Why do you think that, Henry?"

Henry shrugged. "It's just because of who you are."

"And who am I?" the doctor asked

"You're a conscience," he said. "You help people see right from wrong."

"So all of the crickets in Storybrooke," he asked, "they were once people too?"

"There aren't any crickets here." He got up and went to the window. "Listen." An owl hooted. Henry turned to him expectantly. "See?"

"Maybe it isn't late enough," Archie suggested.

Henry shook his head. "There's never been crickets here. You've just never noticed."

"And you think that's proof that there's a curse?"

Henry sat down again. "Yes. But I know it's not enough." The doctor scribbled something. "I'm looking for more," he added quickly, trying to read the notes to make sure he added that part.

Archie put his pen down on the notepad and looked up. "Henry, can I ask you a question?"

Henry nodded.

"Why do you think it is so important that the Curse is real?"

"I don't know. It..." Henry's face scrunched up in thought. "It... It just is."

"Alright, well... Maybe you should keep thinking about that answer, Henry. I think there's something buried there."

_**...**_

"Everyone step back please," Regina said to the crowd, with a wave of her arms in that direction for emphasis.

There was a small earthquake earlier, followed by about a hundred calls to city hall reporting some sort of collapse at the old mines. She'd rushed right out of her office and had begun on damage control with the small crowd that gathered there.

"Is that a crater?" a woman asked.

She was a waitress at the local diner. Regina thought her name might be Scarlet or Red or Ruby or something to that effect. She was Granny's granddaughter. And babysat Henry sometimes. Regina usually greeted her as Ms. Lucas.

"No," Marco answered her. "There were tunnels... Uh, old mines, something collapsed."

"Be careful," Kathryn said, just as she arrived on the scene. "Step back." Kathryn came to stand next to Regina.

She hadn't expected to see the Assistant Mayor today. Frederick had injured his knee this morning during a warm-up exercise. Regina had scoffed when she heard the news and Kathryn had also laughed at the absurdity of it, but Regina had still given her the rest of the day off to be with him.

From the side of her eye, she saw the Sheriff and David approach. Emma Swan was with them, the new Deputy.

_Who would have guessed, in a town this small, that we'd need so many law enforcers? _Regina thought in amusement.

Kathryn went over to them.

"Graham, set up a police perimeter. David, why don't you help with the fire department? Deputy Swan," she turned in her direction with a look of general iciness, "make yourself useful and help with crowd control."

She would have rolled her eyes at her best friend were their current situation not so serious.

"People of Storybrooke," Regina addressed the crowd, "don't be alarmed. We've always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels, but fear not. We're," she glanced quickly at Kathryn, "going to undertake a project to make this area safe, to rehabilitate it to city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."

She noticed Henry and Dr. Hopper approaching.

"Pave it?" Henry asked, like she'd just suggested a nuclear test drive down at the infantry ward of the hospital. "What if there's something down there?"

Regina bent to look at him, whispering, "Henry, what are you doing here?"

"What's down there?" he whispered back.

"Nothing." She addressed the crowd again. "Now step back."

"Yes. In fact everyone please," Kathryn said, coming to stand at her side again, "please step back." The crowd took a few collective steps backwards. "Thank you." She looked at the construction team. "C'mon, move it," she hurried them. "Let's go boys."

_**...**_

Henry noticed a piece of glass on the ground and picked it up. It was a shard. The glass was thick and there was wood in it, some design. It looked familiar somehow.

"Henry," Regina said. His head snapped up and he quickly hid the glass in his pocket. "This is a safety issue. I need you to wait in the car."

He walked toward it.

"Sheriff," he heard her say, "Deputy Swan cordon off the area."

Henry waited until his mother left then got out of the car and motioned Archie over.

"Hey, Archie. Over here." Emma followed the doctor to him. "This requires all of Operation Cobra... both of you."

"I didn't realize I was in Operation Cobra," Archie said, taken aback and almost... touched.

"Of course you are," Henry told him. "You know everything. We can't let her do this. What if there's something down there?"

"They're just some old tunnels, kid."

"That just happen to collapse right after you get here?" he asked, brow raised. "You're changing things. You're weakening the Curse."

"That's not what's happening," she said, looking to Archie for help.

"Yes, it is," he insisted. "Did you do anything different today? 'Cause something made this happen."

Emma touched her badge.

"Henry," David said, coming closer, "you were told to wait in the car. Archie, they're looking for help over there," he pointed to where Marco and some other volunteers stood. "Ms. Swan," he said to Emma, "do your job - crowd control."

_**...**_

David watched Henry walk back to Regina's car. He knew he wouldn't stay there for long. That it would only be a matter of minutes before he decided to take off again. And David couldn't do his job and watch his son at the same time, not when there was a crises like this.

He saw a flash of black hair and red streaks. "Ruby," he called her over.

She came quickly. "Yeah?"

"Do you mind keeping an eye on Henry?" he gestured to the car.

She followed his hand, shrugged and said, "Sure."

"And taking him away from here," he clarified.

She pulled a face then sighed. "Yeah. Okay. I'll take him back to Granny's." She walked off toward Henry then yelled over her shoulder. "I want twice my usual rate for this. Your kid's got an attitude lately."

_**...**_

Emma was exhausted, first day on the job and already there was a crises. They'd left the mines a few hours ago. Henry had run off almost immediately and come looking for her, talking about Operation Cobra, the mines and needing proof. He'd gone on and on about a piece of glass, saying it belonged to Snow White's coffin. And he was convinced it was under the mines. "Don't you see? It's what the Evil Queen's hiding under there! We have to go into the mines. To find proof!"

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Emma fished it out with one hand, using the other to unlock the door to Mary-Margaret's loft.

Emma looked at the screen quickly then answered. "Oh, hello, Madame Mayor."

Regina sounded panicked on the other line. "Please tell me he's with you."

Emma pushed the door open with her shoulder. "Who?"

"Henry," she exclaimed. "Is he with you?"

"No," Emma held the phone between her shoulder and ear as she pulled her key out the door. "I dropped Henry off at your office an hour ago."

"He's not here," she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "We've looked everywhere. The house, my office, the station, the school, his castle..."

"I don't know where he is," she said in shock. Realization dawned upon her. Her blood ran cold. "The mines."

_**...**_

"Henry?" she yelled into the dark tunnel ahead of her. "Henry?"

He'd gone on about the mines earlier, saying it was key in finding evidence against _her_. She'd tried to talk him out of it, to make him understand that the Curse wasn't real. But the way he looked at her...

It was as if she'd broken his trust.

Emma continued warily, focusing on each step so as not to stumble in the darkness. Suddenly there was a light. A bright, near-blinding, white one, shining directly into her face. She held her hand up to shade her eyes and saw that it was a flashlight. And Henry was holding it.

"Emma!" he said, excitedly. "You're here to help me!"

"No, kid... Listen, we have to get out of here."

"No, I have to get proof."

"Henry-"

"You're still against me," he accused.

"No. Henry, listen, there's no time for that. Come on, kid, we have to go!"

Henry backed away slowly. "You don't believe me? You'll see. You'll see!" Then he ran into the tunnel.

"Hey! Henry, come back!" Emma ran after him. "Kid!"

_**...**_

Graham tried to reassure her, told her, "Emma's smart. She'll keep Henry safe until we get to them."

Regina didn't buy that. The ground shook.

"Watch out!" Kathryn yelled, pulling her back. A boulder fell where she had been standing

"Stop." Regina marched to David. "Stop! You're making it worse!"

"I'm trying to save him," he said, matching her tone. "You know what," he turned to her accusingly, "he wouldn't have gone in there in the first place if _you_ hadn't let this go on for so long! This obsession! Months ago I told you-"

"You're blaming me?" she laughed. "What would you have had me done, David? He's a child! Did you want me to crush his reality? To devastate him?" The 'like you did' hung in the air. She jabbed a finger at his shoulder. "_You_ made him feel like he had to prove something!"

"Why does he think he has anything to prove? Who's encouraging him?"

Her eyes narrowed and voice turned dangerously low, "Do not put this on me, David."

"Yeah," he pushed past her, "lecture me until his oxygen runs out."

_**...**_

Kathryn watched apprehensively from the side, not knowing how to intervene. She approached Regina, placing a hand on her arm, wincing when the brunette jumped.

"You two have to stop arguing," she said to her. "We won't accomplish anything with it."

"No," Regina sighed, "we won't."

She looked at her friend for a moment longer. "What do you need me to do to help?"

Regina thought for a moment. "We need to find some way to punch," she made the gesture, "through the ground. We need something big."

"Like what?"

Graham spoke up from behind them. "Explosives."

_**...**_

The explosives were all ready, the workers stationed near them to hit the big red button, so to speak.

"Okay," David yelled, "we're all clear."

Kathryn waited until everyone found cover then looked at the construction workers. "Blow it," she ordered.

There was a loud explosion.

"Did it work?" Regina asked, coming over to look.

"It didn't open," David said, frowning.

"Then what did it do?" Graham asked.

_**...**_

"I'm really really really sorry," Henry said when he realised just how dangerous their situation was.

"It's okay," Emma said tiredly, not wanting to argue further with him even though she was pissed.

"I just..." he mumbled, not meeting her eyes. "Everyone thinks I'm crazy. I just wanted to find proof."

Emma's anger dissipated. "I know, kid," she sighed. "It's okay. I'm sorry too."

He lifted his head. She looked at him, into his honest brown eyes, and was again hit by an overwhelming sense of helplessness. She so badly wanted to be the person he thought she was, to be the Saviour. But she didn't know how.

"I don't think... I don't believe you're crazy," she said to him, wanting to ease the burn of her previous words.

But it was a lie. And by the way his eyes narrowed, she knew he had just figured it out.

"I think the Curse is crazy," she tried. He looked away again. "Henry, I... I didn't mean those things I said to you. I never should have said them. I'm sorry."

He looked at her sharply. "Then why did you?" he asked, voice so much like his mother's that it took Emma aback.

"I..."

The elevator shook and a few stones fell in. Instinctively, Emma and Henry covered their heads.

...

Regina ran over to the workers. "What was that? What the hell was that? You said you could do this!"

Kathryn tried to calm her down. "Regina-"

She turned on her. "They could have killed my son."

"I know," she said understandingly but firmly. "But _this_," she gestured in Regina's general direction, "isn't helping."

"Perhaps..." Graham started, "If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them."

Kathryn moved toward the fire truck. Regina went closer to Graham, listening attentively to his suggestion.

"Maybe... Maybe we could make something to bring them back up."

"A driller," David suggested.

Regina turned to him. "What do you think we..."

Pongo scrambled out the open door of the fire truck and started sniffing at the ground.

"Come on buddy," Kathryn said to the dog. "It's Archie's dog," she said to Graham, who gave an odd look at letting the dog loose. "He knows Henry's scent." Pongo sniffed around some more, following his nose forward. "He's found something. Look, this is where they must be. What is it?"

Graham and David bent and removed a metal covering. Under it was blocked grate bars.

"What is that?" Regina asked, looking over Kathryn's shoulder.

"It's..." Graham huffed as he and David struggled to remove the hatch. "It's an air shaft."

"Alright, we got it," David announced just as the hatch came loose.

They all looked down into the dark hole. Then Regina stood straight and clasped her hands together with a small clapping sound. "So, what's next?"

Kathryn snapped into business mode, "Right. Now, we need to lower someone straight down, or the line will collapse with the sides of the shaft."

"I've got the harness," Graham offered.

"Lower me down," Regina said at once, taking off her blazer.

"Are you out of your mind?" David asked, stepping in front of her. "You're not going down there!"

"My son needs me-"

"Yes," he cut in, looking pointedly at her stomach, "_he_ does." He noticed people were staring and guided her toward the fire truck. He spoke lowly, so that they couldn't be overheard. "He needs you to take care of him. And he needs _me_ to take of you _so that_ you can take care of him. I _will_ get Henry."

"Okay," she breathed. Regina gave a small nod, swallowing over the lump in her throat. "Just bring him to me," she whispered, eyes closed and forehead against his.

He pulled back, pressed a kiss to her temple and stepped away.

_**...**_

"Henry, Can I... Can I ask you something?"

He just looked at her, brows raised.

"Why do you believe in the Curse?"

He looked at her strangely then shrugged. "I don't know." He handed her a chocolate bar. He opened his mouth then closed it. His eyebrows went together, like it did when he was thinking. He took a bite of his chocolate then looked at her. "This can't be all there is," he said simply

"Yeah..." Emma nodded understandingly. She gave him a sad smile. "Reality can be disappointing, kid." They were quiet for the next for minutes. "Have you thought about what I asked you earlier? About the baby?"

His expression immediately turned to anger. "No," he said through clenched teeth.

Emma's tone was soft when she suggested, "I think you should. Maybe there's something buried there."

His head whipped to her. "What did you say?"

They looked up at the sound of some grinding noises.

"What's that?" Henry asked, a slight waver to his voice.

Emma smiled, still looking up. "It's a rescue."

David appeared at the top, being lowered by a line connected to his harness. Emma never thought she'd be as happy to see anyone as she was to see David right then.

"Dad!"

"Henry," he said in relief, reaching for him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Emma said, lifting Henry upward, "we're both okay." She couldn't help the slight sarcasm in her tone.

"Hang on, Henry." He lifted his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Okay, let's get a stop."

David removed the roof of the elevator and reached for his son. "Come on, I got you. Okay," he said to Emma, "I've got him."

The elevator started to rumble. Emma set her hands out to balance herself against the elevator wall. She looked at David's outstretched hand. "Get him to safe-"

The elevator shook again.

She heard Henry scream, "Emma!"

_**...**_

Clapping. That was the sound that welcomed them out of the mines. They were pulled up by a team of volunteers. Emma recognized Graham, Archie and Marco but none of the others. David and Henry came up first. Graham offered her his hand and she took it, letting him pull her further out of the elevator shaft.

She saw David and Regina hugging, well clutching at each other. Henry appeared in her line of sight. He was still upset with her, she saw in the frown on his face and the suspicion in his eyes.

"Are you okay, Henry?"

He nodded.

"Henry," David called him over.

Emma watched as the boy was swept up into a family hug. She felt an old pang of longing at the sight. Regina knelt in front of him, her hands on both sides of his head, peppering kisses onto his face through breathless and joyful tears. David had a hand on his back, and spoke to him seriously. Henry nodded and then threw himself into his mother's arms. She was surprised but hugged him back immediately, one hand on the back of his head, the other tight around his back. Emma could almost hear her say, "I'm just glad you're alright." Then he was hugging David. And she swore that was the first time she saw him smile. It was nothing more than a small upward flick of his lips and didn't last long, but it was there, fleeting and real.

"Deputy Swan," she heard Assistant Mayor Knight call, "I hope you're alright." Emma nodded dumbly. "Good," Kathryn smiled. "Then you can clear the crowd away."

"Emma!" She turned just as Henry crashed into her. "Thank you for coming in after me." He looked out of the corner of his eye for a second. "And for keeping me safe."

"Did your mom tell you to say that?" she laughed.

"Yeah," he nodded, eyes down. "But I really do mean it."

"I know."

They hugged again.


	6. Chapter 6

"David I really think we should take him to the hospital," she said again. "The air in the mines-"

"I'm fine," Henry sighed from the back seat.

She turned around to face him. "Henry-"

"Really, Mom," he said, "I'm fine."

"You're sure?" she asked seriously. He nodded. She looked at him a moment longer then turned back in her seat.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

"Can we watch a movie tonight?"

"You have school tomorrow, Henry," David reminded, his gaze never leaving the road.

"You're not seriously thinking about sending him to school after that, are you?" Regina scoffed. "He needs time to recover." She turned to look at him again. Her smile was mischievous. He felt himself smiling in response. "Don't you, Henry?"

He nodded quickly. "Yeah."

_**...**_

She waited until Henry's door closed before she turned to David. They stood at the bottom of the staircase, looking up.

"Please not now," she asked tiredly.

He shut his eyes momentarily. "I'd really like not to have this conversation too, Regina," he said. "But this is the third time in a month. There needs to be something in place that discourages it."

"I just got him back," she said through a teary smile. "I just got him back. He hugged me, David. Called me mom. Please, please don't ruin this moment," she begged, taking his hands. "I understand where you're coming from. Really I do but..."

She trailed off. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears but hopeful, so hopeful that he gave in and nodded. Then he stepped back.

She frowned and took a step forward. "David-"

"I'm going to the station. There's going to be a ton of paperwork from today's crises."

"Wait, I-"

He set a hand to the back of her head and kissed her temple. "I'll see you a little bit."

He turned for the door then left. Regina looked at the closed white door and swallowed over the lump in her throat. There was a huge wedge between them lately. She wanted it gone buy didn't know how to do that.

Henry's door opened and he bounded down the staircase in blue plaid pajama pants and a grey short-sleeve t-shirt, wearing an infectious smile.

"What are we gonna watch, Mom?"

_**...**_

Henry was asleep next to her. They'd made a late dinner out of buttery popcorn and spicy chicken wings and watched _Meet the Robinsons_.

It was an interesting movie, one of Henry's favourites and Regina quite liked it as well. But tonight she had only half-watched it. Her attention was pulled to her son, who sat next to her, closer than usual. She watched his face change throughout the movie, waited for the sparkle of excitement to appear in his eyes and hung on the little laughs he let out under his breath.

It almost felt like old times.

"Is he asleep?" David asked.

She nodded. "Yes. When did you get back? I didn't hear you come in."

"Just now."

"Oh."

He stepped into the living room and lifted Henry off the sofa. Then he left. She heard his footsteps on the stairs.

Regina sat there a moment longer then turned off the TV and took the few dishes to the kitchen. They'd eaten during the movie, something Henry grinned at when she suggested it. A sight she imprinted to memory. She got a few more during the course of the evening, unknowing little smiles here and there before he caught himself and started reserving them.

She rinsed off the plates and popcorn bowl then placed them in the dishwasher. Her phone rang somewhere far off. She dried her hands and walked out of the kitchen in search of it. It was wedged between the cushions of the sofa. She went to retrieve it. Her finger cut on something. Instinctively, and with a hiss, Regina pulled her hand back.

A line of dark red appeared on her index finger. It dropped onto the sofa, instantly changing from crimson to pink. The colour of blood on snow. _Snow._

_**...**_

"Good morning," Mary-Margaret greeted cheerily as Emma came downstairs.

"Morning," she yawned in response. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she opened the fridge.

"You got in late last night."

"Yeah." Emma found some orange juice and drank it straight from the carton. "The whole mines thing..." She noticed Mary-Margaret's knowing smirk. "What?"

Her roommate nodded to the end of the counter. It was only then that Emma became aware of the brightly colored bouquet of flowers wrapped in brown paper. She went to it curiously, lifted the note and read it. She tried and failed not to smile.

"Graham?"

Emma nodded, giving up her rouse. She looked up and shrugged. "Does he really think flowers will work on me?" she aimed for nonchalance but missed it by only a note of girlish excitement.

Mary-Margaret's smirk deepened. She laughed. "I'd say it already has." She looked at the bouquet. "They're beautiful, Emma. Here let me get you a vase."

A moment later one was in her hand. She unwrapped the flowers and put them in the glass vase, now filled halfway with water.

_**...**_

Henry was upset. One of the things Archie had told him to do was try to describe how he felt, he said it would help him make better decisions, and that he should always take time to reflect so that he didn't say or do something he'd regret later. Like he usually did.

And Henry was trying, really, he was. But the only word he could think of was _upset_. He still had to figure out the why bit though. He wasn't entirely sure, but he thought it had something to do with his mom leaving him like she did.

Last night they'd stayed up past his bedtime, eating popcorn and making plans for today. They'd watched a movie (on a school night!) and it was fun. It had almost felt like old times. He almost forgot she was the Evil Queen. She didn't act like her.

A part of him, a really big part of him, missed his mother. He missed being around her, hearing her bedtime stories, telling her about his day, having her help him with math homework or book reviews. He wished she wasn't the Evil Queen. That he didn't have to hate her. So last night, Henry didn't. After he'd been rescued from the mines, after he saw how she deflated with relief and rushed to hug his dad, Henry let himself forget. He didn't expect her to react the way she did, to pull him into her when she saw him, to kneel in front of him and smile at him tearily, to kiss his face and say, "I'm just glad you're okay." He leapt into her arms after that, had held on for dear life.

He didn't want to hate her anymore. He'd tried to show her that. And things had gone well. He was so excited for today. They were going to have homemade waffles for breakfast, with apples picked fresh from the tree in their backyard, something they hadn't done in a while. Then they were going to go to the library and get some new books and afterward a family lunch in the park.

He got to sleep in later than usual and woke up at almost eleven, feeling bright and happy.

Then, she rushed through breakfast without so much as a thought about their plans. She was agitated and fidgety as she cooked then grabbed her keys and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead a moment after she set down the slightly burnt waffles in front of him. Then she was gone and out the door, an "I love you" tossed carelessly over her shoulder.

He felt... hurt. Brushed aside. And maybe even sad.

This whole feelings thing was getting easier, he realised.

"Kid," Emma said suddenly, startling him out of his thoughts. "Hey. Mary-Margaret said you weren't at school. So I tried your house. No answer. Then I figured I might find you here. Brought you something."

Henry was at his castle now. He left the house a few minutes ago, rode aimlessly around town before he stopped here to look at the waves. It usually made him feel better. Not today though.

"Thought we could use them together for Operation Cobra," she said. Emma sat down next to him. She showed him a pair of walkie-talkies. "Got it from the station. It was just sitting there gathering dust. Still works though." She handed one to him.

"Thanks," he replied as he took it. He wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying anymore.

Emma bumped him with her shoulder. "Oh, come on. What's up? Are you still upset with me?"

He shook his head. "I think we should stop the Cobra stuff for a while," he said, just then deciding.

Emma looked surprised.

Wasn't that what she wanted? Wasn't that what they all wanted? For him to be normal? And not crazy? To not believe in the Curse? Why was she surprised then? Henry stood up to leave.

"Kid-"

"I'm supposed to meet my parents for lunch," he lied. He walked off the short ladder of the playground. "I gotta go," he said, looking up at her from the ground.

Emma let out a soft sigh. "Okay." She climbed down as well. "You need a ride?" she offered, twirling the keys around her finger.

"No." He went to his bike and peddled home.

_**...**_

Her vault. She hadn't been here in almost a decade. It was exactly as she had left it, everything untouched, the ingredients for the memory potion still there as if she had just procured the potion, as if she had just drank it, as if she had just forgotten that she was the Evil Queen. And the fax that had compelled her to brew it was there as well, folded neatly under the small goblet she'd drunk from.

She opened it and read through it again, even though she knew each word by heart. It had been scorched into her since she first saw it.

It was almost poetic, she mused. Snow White had led her to enact the Dark Curse. Her daughter, the memory potion. And now Snow was the one who broke the forgetting spell and her daughter would be the one to break the Curse.

Well, a shard of glass from Snow White's coffin. But she'd still blame the girl.

Mother and daughter... both unknowingly ruining her life. Poetic.

No, not poetic. Ironic.

She needed her gone, Regina decided, snapping out of her bitter musings. Emma Swan needed to be disposed of.

_And if you ever need help covering up the homicide of a certain blonde..._

The words brought a dark smirk to her lips. If only he knew what he had offered. But he didn't, she reminded herself, amusement gone. He didn't. He was Cursed. And Emma _was_ his daughter and so Regina couldn't- no, wouldn't kill her.

Henry.

She was also Henry's mother. And Regina imagined that offing the blonde wouldn't do her any good in his eyes.

She just needed her gone. Maybe... Maybe she could convince her to leave.

Unlikely.

Force her?

Probably.

No, what she really needed was for Emma Swan to decide to leave on her own terms.

Regina looked at the fax in her hands again.

_**...**_

"I thought you were meeting your parents for lunch," Emma smirked.

Henry stopped in front of her table at Granny's. His eyes were furious. And hazel, she saw. She had thought they were brown yesterday.

"Was I born in jail?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

He threw some papers down in front of her. It hit the table with a smack.

"You were arrested?" he sounded like David then, an accusation phrased like a question.

"Kid-"

"You lied to me."

How? Emma wondered briefly.

"I was wrong. You're not the Saviour. You're not a hero. Heroes don't lie." He jutted out his chin to the paper. "Or steal."

He stormed out, nearly breaking the little bell. The door to Granny's slammed close behind him. A few people looked to the sound. Emma avoided their eyes, stunned. She'd never seen that anger directed at her before.

Belatedly, she remembered the papers and picked them up.

_**...**_

"This was a juvie record," Emma said. She barged past the insistent secretary who tried to stop her.

"I'm sorry Madame Mayor. I tried to tell her you were leaving-"

"That's alright, Jane," she dismissed her.

The girl left meekly.

"This was sealed by court order," Emma went on. "I don't know how you got it, but that's abuse of power and illegal."

Regina's eyes lit up, dangerously playful. "Oh, I'm sorry," she smiled. It sent a shiver down Emma's spine. Her voice was darker, smokier, richer. Scary. "You didn't want Henry to know you cut his cord with a shiv?"

Emma's eyes widened. "You- you- you..." she stammered. "You _wanted_ him to know," she spat. "Why? Why would you do that? Don't you see that it's hurt him? He-"

"He'll be fine," Regina dismissed. She waved her hand in a careless gesture as she gathered her briefcase. She walked forward, and out the door. Emma followed. "We all lose our heroes at some point. I'm just glad it happened sooner rather than later. Before he went off running into another collapsing mine." She smiled again, wicked triumph.

Emma finally understood what Henry was talking about. Evil indeed.

"Deputy," she said, when they reached her car, "as much as I'd like to continue this little _chat_, I have to get home. To _my_ son. I would imagine he's quite upset."

"You have no soul," Emma said. Then she turned and left.

_**...**_

Mary-Margaret unlocked the loft door hesitantly. She could hear the blaring rock music before she even climbed the stairs. Now that she was standing in the doorway, the music attacked her eardrums. She went inside, closed the door, put her bags down then switched the music off.

There was a bottle of scotch on the counter and Emma was struggling to repair the toaster.

"Toaster broken?" she inquired.

"It wasn't when I started with it," Emma muttered. "Pretty sure it is now. I just needed to hit something."

Mary-Margaret looked at her in concern. "What's going on?"

She let it all burst out of her like the steam of a train, fast and heated, "Henry doesn't want to see me. Work sucks. David's being a prick, nothing new there and Regina... Well, I'm starting to see the Evil Queen thing. And you know what, it's not even what she did that's _unsettling_. It's why. And how."

Mary-Margaret frowned. "What happened?" she asked, taking a seat on one of the bar stools.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Emma grumbled. She yanked something out of the toaster. It made a horrid short low breaking sound.

"Emma," Mary-Margaret nudged in the voice she'd use with uncooperative students.

"He's upset with me," Emma said shortly.

"Henry?" She nodded. "Why? Is it about you not believing in the Curse?"

"No," she gave a bitter laugh. She banged what was left of the toaster down onto the counter. "He won't even talk about _the Curse_. I... I think his belief is wavering."

Mary-Margaret tilted her head to the side. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Emma shrugged. "I guess. I mean yes, it's good. It's great. That means he's getting better. That therapy's working. It - it is good," she forced herself to say.

"But?"

Emma was silent for a moment but when she looked up, Mary-Margaret could see all her fear.

"Where does that leave me? If I'm not- If I'm not a hero and I'm not _The Saviour_... then what part do I have in his life?" She seemed taken aback by her own words, as if she had finally verbalized a nagging fear. Emma put her face in her hands. "Okay," she mumbled, "there it is."

"There it is," Mary-Margaret agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Henry," she called into the silent house. "Henry?" she checked his bedroom.

He sat by his desk. He watched a pen roll down then caught it and placed it back at the top of the desk so that it could roll down again. He was slumped forward, his eyes downcast and his mouth frowning. She resisted the urge to tell him to sit up straight. He'd been like this for a few days now, dejected and miserable.

"Henry?" she called, lightly rapping on the door before stepping into his room. He looked at her. She tried a smile. "I was thinking about going to Granny's. You hungry?"

He shook his head and looked away, back to his desk, back to the rolling pen.

Regina sighed and walked to him. "Okay that's enough of this." She stopped the pen. "Get your coat and shoes. We're going out."

_**...**_

She stopped the car. "Come on."

"No, I don't wanna go in there," he mumbled.

"And why is that?" she asked, looking at him through the rearview.

He looked out the window, hand under his chin. "Because," he said stubbornly.

"Henry..."

"Because she's there."

She sighed and took off her seatbelt. She turned in her seat to look at him. "Emma?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "I don't wanna see her. She lied to me."

"And that is precisely why you're going in there. To speak to her."

She got out the car and waited by her door for him to do the same. It was almost five minutes later when he finally did. He slammed the door close behind him. She looked at him sharply.

"You _will_ behave. Is that understood?" He shrugged and scuffed his shoe against the ground. "Henry," she said sternly. "Is that understood?"

"Yes," he groaned. He stomped ahead of her then waited by the door of the sheriff station. He grabbed her hand before they went inside.

_**...**_

"Glad to see city funds are being put to good use."

"Shit." Emma nearly jumped out of her skin. She took a step away from Graham. "I- I, uh... I mean Madame Mayor. Henry!" she exclaimed when she saw him.

"Deputy Swan," she said cordially. "Sheriff."

"Regina," Graham smirked at her before he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"We were uh... just playing darts," Emma tried.

The Mayor raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" Her expression seemed to say.

"Well, I'm sorry to have interrupted your... _game_." She smirked. "Henry, here," she looked at him, squeezed his shoulders and nudged him in front of her to face Emma. "Would like to spend some time with you."

"Really?" Emma asked, disbelieving and hopeful.

"N-"

"Yes," Regina said for him. "Ice-cream I think he suggested. Right Henry?" He looked up at her. She gave him a look.

He sighed and looked back at Emma. "Yeah. Ice-cream. Three scoops."

"Two," Emma and Regina said at the same time.

_**...**_

"So..." Emma began unsurely. She looked at Henry. They were walking around the park. "How have you been?"

He stopped by the bench they were approaching and gave her a pointed look. The effect of it was lessened by the ice-cream cone in his hand. She had caved and given in to his plea of three chocolate scoops on the condition that he wouldn't tell Regina. He'd just rolled his eyes and said, "Duh."

He sat down. Emma took the cue and did the same.

"Are we gonna talk about it?" he asked after a few moments. "About you going to jail?"

Emma sighed and picked at the lint on her jeans. "Yeah. I guess." Then she looked at him. "I was very young," she began. She couldn't tell him the full story, so she settled for the basics and kept his father out of it. She prayed Henry wouldn't ask about him. "I had no money, no job, no house. Only my bug. And I... I stole some watches," she said carefully. "Got caught, arrested and went to jail."

"Where you had me?" he asked.

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Where I had you. I found out I was pregnant two weeks after I was arrested. I was eighteen, Henry. I couldn't even take care of myself," she said tearily. "And I knew I couldn't take care of you either."

"Is that why you gave me up?"

Emma took a shaky breath. "I gave you up becauseyou deserved better. I couldn't give you the life you deserved then. And I still can't now."

"That doesn't matter. I would have been happier with you. You should have kept me," he said pleadingly. "You're my mom-"

"No, Henry," she sighed. "I'm not your mom. I gave birth to you. There's a big difference." She looked away from his big hazel eyes. "Regina and David are your parents. They raised you."

"But she's the _Evil_ Queen. She's a villain."

Emma sighed. "You have to move past this fairytale thing eventually, kid."

"The Curse _is_ real, Emma." She shook her head. She didn't want a repeat of what happened before the mines but couldn't keep pretending. It was becoming too exhausting.

"I'm sorry about yelling at you in the diner," he said suddenly. Emma saw he was looking down. "That was mean."

Yes, it was. "It's okay," she said instead. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I'm sorry you had to find out _the Saviour_ isn't all that great."

He smiled and met her eyes. "I think it makes you cooler. I mean... You're still you. You're still a hero. You're still gonna break the Curse."

Emma smiled sadly at that. "Yeah, kid," she sighed. "I'm gonna break your curse."

_**...**_

Regina felt lighter, as if a weight she hadn't realised she was carrying had been lifted. This, she thought, is why she drank the potion. She didn't want to be that woman anymore. But the potion had only buried the Queen. Now she was free, and Regina had to work on taming her. She'd thought that she could win Henry over by shoving Emma out the picture, but that was wrong and her logic was so screwed up that she was ashamed of believing it. She needed Henry to see the best in her and ruining the image he had of his birth mother, was not her best. She had doubted her decision to let him spend time with Emma at first. But when Henry came back full of smiles she knew she'd done the right thing.

"Ms. Swan, a word?"

"Erh... sure."

The blonde followed her to the kitchen.

"Tea?" she offered. Emma shook her head. "Coffee? Water? Juice? Or-"

"No, I'm good," Emma said quickly.

She stuffed her hands into her jeans pockets and leaned against the wall near the door. She seemed more unsure of herself with every second that passed.

"What's this about? First you threaten me then you give me practically an entire day with Henry? What's your deal?"

"I..." Emma raised her eyebrows. "I suppose this is another apology. It was not my place to tell Henry about your _incarceration_."

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Regina shook her head slowly. Emma's brows furrowed. She leaned forward, her arms on the counter. "How did you even find out about that?"

Regina shifted uncomfortably. "I had a background check done on you."

She nodded, as if she had assumed this already. She laughed under her breath, bitter and disbelieving. "That's-"

"Illegal. I know. I just... I thought if I could make him see the worst in you... He'd be more... That he'd..." Emma caught on and her eyes widened in understanding. "Yeah," Regina said, looking at the counter.

"That's majorly screwed up," she muttered, but her tone was sympathetic.

"I know," she sighed. Then straightened and looked her in the eye. She cleared her throat. "But I can assure you, nothing of the sort will ever happen again. Henry wants you in his life. And I'm not going to be the one to deny him a chance to get to know you. You can spend time together as usual. You can still walk him to school in the mornings and back home in the afternoons. David and I are still debating about you picking him from his sessions-"

"And taking him out for dinner afterwards." She shrugged. "Or the arcade."

Regina took a moment. "Okay." She nodded. "I'll see what I can do." Emma smiled. "But if it's a yes, I want him home by seven thirty."

"Eight thirty."

"Eight."

Emma laughed under her breath. "Okay. Eight."

Regina smiled in relief then put her hand out. "Truce?"

Emma seemed skeptical when she took her hand, but still said, "Truce."

_**...**_

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

Regina nodded. He leaned forward in his seat at the counter.

"Okay, but you have to promise you won't lie. Or get mad." She quirked an eyebrow. He held his pinky up. "Promise?"

"I promise," she pinky swore.

It hadn't appeased him, like she thought he would. Instead he looked scared.

"Do you remember?"

Her eyes widened. It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. "W-what?"

"The Curse? Do you remember casting it now?"

"Henry-"

"You promised you wouldn't lie," he reminded quickly, sounding more like a child than he ever had.

An entire minute passed before she said, "Yes."

His eyes widened but instead of fear, she thought she saw relief. "So you never knew?"

She shook her head. "I..." she cleared her throat. "I took a forgetting potion when you were a baby."

"Oh." Her brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of the look on his face. Then he shook his head, eyes bright and asked, "What other potions can you make?"

_..._

He had been talking animatedly since she confessed to being the stuff of nightmares. He seemed curious rather than scared.

"You wanna know how I figured it out?"

No. She most definitely did not want to hear any more about the Curse. Most of his questions had included things about her past, enacting the curse, the Enchanted Forest, Rumplestiltskin, the poisoned apple and her magic - he seemed most fascinated by that.

"That you remembered?"

"Sure," she smiled tiredly. She leaned on the kitchen counter to face him. He'd stayed to help her prepare dinner. And now the lasagna was in the oven and they were waiting for the timer to go off.

"You've been different lately."

Her head tilted to the side. "Different?"

"Mhm," he nodded. "More strict and... grouchy." She chuckled at the face he made. "And you've given me the _posture_ lecture like a dozen times this week. And according to the book Cora... She was kinda crazy about that stuff."

She looked down. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being like her."

"But," he tilted his head to the side, "you're not. She was a really, really bad mom. And you're not."

He was observant and clever, but there were still so many things he didn't understand. There was an innocence to him that she was both envious and proud of.

"Are you gonna help me break the Curse?" he asked.

That caught her off guard. "I..." She shook her head and looked down. "I don't know, Henry."

"Okay."

She looked up quickly. "That's it? You're not upset?"

"No," he shrugged. "I get it. If the Curse breaks then you lose."

Regina flinched. He had no idea how accurate that statement was. When the Curse broke, she would lose. She would lose him. She would lose them both.

"But I have to." He looked up, seemingly to be asking for permission. "I have to try at least. It's the right thing to do."

She closed her eyes, wishing she'd never seen that shard of glass, and gave him the barest of nods.

_..._

He was irritated. Work had been hell, there were false call of burning houses, the usual shoplifters and dumb kids who vandalized private buildings. He'd run around like a mad man all afternoon then come back into the station after six to find Graham and Emma making out.

He rolled his eyes, barged into the office and threw the cruiser keys to Graham. "You can take the night shift."

And although he left the station, he couldn't go home. It had become increasingly draining to be there. Arguments sprung up out of nothing like a weeds in a garden. His wife had become cold and closed-off in the last month and half. She hadn't even let him get close enough to touch her lately. There was this huge wedge between them, a Henry-shaped wedge, that had been driving them apart since the day their son had run off to Boston. They disagreed about everything concerning him and their lack of communication was becoming a problem. They rarely spoke anymore. She'd been avoiding his calls and filling up her schedule so the only time they saw each other was at home. Their marriage was deteriorating and he didn't know how to fix it.

And Henry... having to constantly reprimand and scold him had caused a huge strain on their relationship. He couldn't remember the last time they just hung out or even helping him with his homework. He wished things could go back to how they had been, peaceful and...

David sighed into his drink. He was at _The Rabbit Hole_. A glass of scotch in front of him.

"Hey."

He looked to his left.

"Ms. Blanchard?"

She was honestly the last person in the world he expected to see. She gave him a tight smile then gulped down her drink, hands shaking.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bad date," she said simply.

"_You_ had a _date_?"

She gave him a funny look. "I'm a teacher not a nun, David."

"Right," he looked away quickly. He cleared his throat. "So what happened?"

She shrugged. "Wasn't interested. And quite obvious about it." She sighed, "He was actually kind of a jerk," she confessed.

"At least tell me he paid?" She shook her head. "Wow. Sorry. So who was this loser?"

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged.

He felt for her. "Hey, can... Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

She looked at him quizzically, sized him up then smiled. "Actually you can buy me two."

_**...**_

Nothing about this felt right to David. Her lips were too thin, and desperate, like she'd never been kissed before. But he supposed he was desperate too, desperate for this kind of intimacy, for lust, for something that made him feel... alive. But it wasn't working. She was a poor substitute for what he really wanted, for who he really wanted. All he could think of was plush smiling lips pressed against his, dark thick hair and seductive eyes. All he could think of was _her_, his wife's smoky chuckle, her surprised gasps and deep unexpected moans.

Mary-Margaret's hands were cold and made him shiver, but it was nothing like the shiver of Regina's touch. He made to thread his fingers through her hair, but found it too short. So he held her neck instead and moved his kisses to her throat. She gasped then tilted her head upward. She tasted like vanilla and honey, something sweet and... and clear, clean. Regina tasted like dark chocolate and red wine, like expensive perfume and apples. He yearned for that, for her.

Mary-Margaret reached for his belt. David thought of undressing her, of holding her naked body and-

"Stop," he broke away quickly.

He couldn't do this. He felt... David felt... He felt pulled to Mary-Margaret but couldn't bring himself to go further. And now that he was reflecting on it, it wasn't a pull but a push, a tilt of the universe. Or of a drink. Yes, that's what it was. He was drunk. And stupid.

"I'm sorry," he said. He grabbed his jacket from the floor and tied his belt. "I can't do this."

He left her there, wide-eyed on her bed, and pushed past a startled Emma when he opened the door.

_**...**_

"Regina?" he called

David winced as the front door slammed closed behind him. It was late. Henry was probably asleep and that could have woken him.

"In here," came her irritated response.

He followed her voice into her home office. He stopped by the doorframe and looked at her. Actually looked at her. Her head was down and hair loose. She had a pen in hand. She was wearing a dark blue shirt, black pants and an irritated scowl. Her hair was a dark glossy brown, and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Her lips were bare, emphasing that delectable scar on her top lip. She usually wore her signature red lipstick, he thought. He remembered a time when she'd have to reapply it several times a day, where it would end up smudged across her jaw and his mouth, where he'd-

"David?" She looked up from her desk. He nearly groaned. She was wearing glasses. Those damn black thick-framed glasses that made his body ache with need. She frowned and got up. "Is everything alright?"

He was still out of breath, had practically run home after that mistake with Mary-Margaret. He expected himself to relax when he saw her, but now his heart only beat faster.

She became concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked, now directly in front of him. "Are you alright?" She reached up to touch his forehead.

He caught her hand and grabbed her hip, pulled her flush against him. She gasped. _And there it was_, he thought. That sound went straight to his groin. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her slightly. She grabbed his shoulders at the suddenness of it. She looked up and their eyes locked. Hers were startled and confused. He leaned down to kiss her. As soon as their lips touched, rolling black clouds and strikes of purple lightning appeared behind his eyelids. Thunder rumbled in his ears. He pulled away in shock. She got out of his hold, took a step back. She had her back to him now, hand over chest. She smoothed out her clothes. He was still breathing heavily, shocked by what just happened.

She laughed a little, disbelieving and surprised then turned to face him. Her brows furrowed. She pushed the glasses up and took a step to him. She touched his arm.

"David?"

He shook his head, blamed it on the alcohol in his system. He reached up to her head and lowered the glasses. His stomach burned. She looked confused.

"What are you doing?" she asked slowly.

"You look so good in these." He tried to kiss her.

She pulled away. "Have you been drinking?"

"Yes," he answered quickly and reached for her again. She dodged his attempt and tried to step backward. He caught her arm.

"Wait-"

He growled in irritation and pushed her against the wall. She winced with a startled sound, her eyes wide. He took both her arms and forced them to her sides.

"David-"

He cut her off with a kiss, this one hard and forceful. He moved her wrists to one hand, in front of her, and cupped her cheek with the other. She responded after a moment, obviously caught by surprise, and the effect was dizzying. Her ferocity matched his. She was never one to back down from a challenge, and he had most definitely just challenged her. Her tongue battled against his, her lips and teeth hard and fierce, fighting for dominance against his. He gave in, lifted his hand to her hair and curled his fingers in her silky tresses. He let her take control and moaned into her mouth. His grip on her hands loosened. And then he was lost in the feel and taste of her lips, in her. She tilted her head upward and deepened their kiss.

He thought of what he'd almost done with Mary-Margaret. And guilt spurred him to please her, to redeem himself. He moved his hands from her face to her waist and untucked her shirt from her pants.

He stopped when his fingers met with the bare skin of her stomach, with the bump. He looked at it. She swallowed. He looked up from his hand to her eyes, saw the glimmer of insecurity there and kissed it away. He lifted her shirt higher and touched the bump fondly. She pressed into his touch with a hum. He felt her smile against him. His own lips curled up in response before he kissed her again.

She was having his child, he thought in wonder for almost the millionth time. He still couldn't believe he'd gotten this lucky. That not only was he married to her, but he had a family with her.

_You almost betrayed her_, he thought in sudden panic. He almost cheated on her. What the hell was he thinking? He'd nearly ruined his entire life, his marriage, his family in one act of drunkenness. What was he thinking? _She's going to be devastated when she finds out._

She wouldn't, he vowed.

She would never find out. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she did, if he hurt her like that. God, what was he thinking? What if she was the one who'd gone to that bar? Who'd gone home with some-

_Mine_, he thought possessively.

He held her hips tighter, squeezed her hard enough that he knew there'd be bruises tomorrow. She winced. "Sorry." He pulled back quickly, shocked at that. He rubbed up her sides. "I'm s-"

"Shh," she leaned in again. Her hand snaked up his chest to the back of his neck, the other rested lightly on his arm. She was being too soft, he decided. He wanted her sharp biting nails and rough kisses. He wanted her fire, her passion. He wanted her teeth and her tongue. He wanted her touch burned into his skin so that he'd never forget it. He wanted _her_. He _needed_ her.

His hands went round her middle, pulled her closer then moved lower. He squeezed her ass. She arched into him, her nails cut through the fabric of his shirt sleeve into his skin. Grinning, he gripped the back of her thighs to lift her. Her legs wrapped around him immediately. He walked them backward, until they were at her desk then dropped her onto it with absolutely no tenderness. He reached for her shirt, wanting it gone now. She broke the kiss then. Their mouths parted with a wet smacking sound. She looked shocked, like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her head and returned her clarity. She was going to make him stop, he knew.

"Wait," she said breathlessly.

He tore her shirt open instead. Buttons broke and flew across the room.

She set a hand to his chest, "Da-"

"Shut up," he growled.

He yanked her thighs apart and stepped into the space between them. Their eyes met and he saw her swallow. He took only a moment to wonder what she saw before he leaned in again. Her hands came up to his forearms, about to push him away. He held the back of her neck and nipped at her throat, reveled in the shiver it brought. She moaned out his name. Her nails dug into his forearms as he trailed bites and kisses from her neck upward.

"You're being awfully..." Her breath hitched. "Uh," she gasped. "Awfully forceful."

"Do you want me to stop?" he murmured, mouth still on her neck.

He waited a few moments then pulled back to look at her when she didn't answer. He saw her struggle with herself, waited until a decision flashed across those maddeningly beautiful eyes. Waited until she finally rasped out, "No," before he leaned in again.

"Good."

"I just..." He bit at her collarbone. "Ah." She tensed. "Is there a reason?" she breathed.

"Yes." He lifted his head. "I've missed you," he said against her lips.

She swallowed. Her, "Oh," was shaky.

His hand left her waist. Her head dropped onto his shoulder when he cupped her breast. He froze in surprise for a moment. Then continued. "Feel good?" he asked, eager to please.

She nodded. "Yes," she moaned, almost relieved.

A softly whispered profanity escaped her lips. He remembered her breasts were more tender due to the pregnancy, a fact that he now greatly exploited to get the sounds he wanted, the soft little meowing ones he enjoyed, the ones that just slipped out, the ones she couldn't control. He flicked his thumb over her nipple. Her hips jerked against his. Her hand came around his neck and back, pulled him nearer.

"David," she breathed. "_David_."

She tilted her head upward and kissed his neck. He moved his other arm around her waist and pressed her pelvis against his, grinding into her. Her breaths were harsh gasps now. She began rolling her hips against his, slow and tantalizing. He set both his hands to either side of her face. Her eyes fluttered shut at the contact. Her breath was shaky. Then she leaned forward and her lips pressed against his greedily. Her arms came around his neck, pulled him nearer. He slowed their pace, hands moved to the nape of her neck and the small of her back. He trailed his teeth along her chin and jaw, mumbled, "God, I _love_ you," against her mouth.

Her eyes snapped open and she flinched away from him. "Wait," she said, suddenly regretful and almost panicked. "Wait, wait. St-"

He cut her off with a gentle kiss. "Please," he whispered. She stiffened. He sighed and pulled back, rested his head against hers. He felt her eyes on him. He lowered his hands to the desk on either side of her. "Regina... Please," he asked again. She took a moment, then her lips touched his hesitantly, apprehensively, slow and uncertain. He responded encouragingly. She melted into him. He reached up to hold her face. When she didn't push him away, David lowered her onto her back.


	8. Chapter 8

Her fingers trailed over his face, tender and light touches from his chin and jaw to his cheek and over his mouth. Sleepily, David kissed her finger. He opened his eyes and instantly smiled at her expression. She looked like she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Did I wake you?" she whispered apologetically.

"Hm-mhm," he mumbled. "No."

He felt for her waist and pulled her toward him. He felt her leg slip in between his and her hands crawl up his chest. Her fingertips were like electricity against his bare skin. She lifted her index finger so that it raked over him in a way that drove him wild. Her smile turned victorious, a smoky chuckle, as she leaned in closer. He hummed in approval.

"Morning," he kissed her.

He meant for it to be sweet and chaste but ended up almost on top of her with his weight rested on his elbow near her head.

"Good morning," she replied. There was a slight breathlessness in the velvety timbre of her voice.

Then his lips covered hers again. A second later he was on his back and stared up at her as she threw her head back in a laugh.

David opened his eyes, the traces of the dream stuck to his eyelids, her rich laugh in his ears and his skin abuzz with the phantom touch of her fingertips.

He sat up in bed.

It was quiet and the curtains were drawn. He looked to his left and felt disappointment settle in. He looked at the empty space for a second. He wiped a hand over his face and sighed.

_**...**_

"You might want to ease up or that Brillo Pad's gonna press charges."

She jumped. David chuckled and walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and nuzzled her neck.

"Good morning, Regina," he husked. He gingerly swept her hair from her shoulder and kissed where her neck met her shoulder. She tensed. He frowned. That was not the reaction he'd been expecting. A shiver, a playful laugh, a pleased hum, a smile perhaps.

"And good morning, little one," he said, looking over her shoulder to the bump. It was far larger than it had been just a month and a half ago. In fact, he'd say it had doubled in size. He traced his fingers over it and smiled against her cheek. She sucked in a deep breath and stilled his hand. "Why are you awake so early? It's only seven."

She dried her hands with the dishtowel on the counter and turned in his arms. She looked at him for a moment. He smiled. She didn't return it. Instead she reached behind her and removed his hands.

"Couldn't sleep," she said before she stepped aside from him.

She went to the fridge and reached for a bottle of water. David leaned with his back against the counter, his hands in his pockets.

"Can you drive Henry to school today? Emma and Graham are going to be setting up for the storm so she won't be able to walk him to school for the next few mornings."

He opened his mouth. Then closed it. He was confused by her behaviour. It was wishful thinking, he knew, but he hoped things would be slightly different between them after last night. He thought of how he'd held her in his arms, how good she felt pressed against him, how warm and soft her body was, how sweet her lips had tasted. He remembered how he moved her hair aside to kiss her neck, how she hummed and moved closer. Their fingers intertwined atop her bump. He'd felt so peaceful, so complete. For a single moment he had all that he wanted in his arms. Then something shifted, something had changed in her, he felt it. Felt it when she moved, when she turned in his arms to face him. Her eyes were teary and broken. She looked scared. Then her quivering lips pressed quickly to his with the tear-stained plea of, "Make me forget again."

He couldn't comprehend how she could change from soft and intimate to distant and closed-off within the space of a few hours. He knew sex couldn't change things. But it had felt like more than that. It felt like they'd reconnected. And he hoped that that he'd be allowed to touch her or they'd at least talk again. But it seemed like they were back to these short interactions where she kept him at a distance.

"Okay," he said eventually, when she turned to him with a questioning glance. Her smile was tight but relieved.

"Thank you."

She gulped the water down then placed the empty bottle on the counter and sighed, her head low. He went to her side. He touched her back. She tensed. He set his finger under her chin, tilted her face so that their eyes met. There were so many emotions swirling in her eyes that it looked like a dark brandy storm. He caught fear, apprehension, confusion, regret, worry and plenty more things he couldn't put a name to.

"Regina..." he said in concern. "Speak to me. What's going on?"

"I..."

She looked like she was going to answer him. Then shook her head, as if dispelling that silly notion, and looked away. She went back to the sink.

She only washed the dishes by hand when there was something bothering her. Usually they spoke about it. But not lately.

David's hand fell to his side helplessly. He pushed aside his hurt and sighed, offering her a, "You need some help?"

Her quick, single-worded answer of, "No," stopped him in place.

He swallowed. "Okay," he whispered before leaving the kitchen.

_**...**_

"Whatcha reading?"

Henry looked slowly over the edge of his comic book. There was a girl in front of him. She had blonde hair and green eyes. Henry thought she looked familiar.

"The Hulk versus Wolverine," he answered after a moment.

It wasn't the one he'd been hoping for, but it was new. A rarity in Storybrooke.

"I'm Ava," she introduced herself. "I think I've seen you around school. You're in Ms. Blanchard's class, right?"

That's why she looked familiar, Henry thought.

"Yeah," he nodded and smiled. "I'm Henry."

This was the first time other kids had spoken to him willingly. He was the Mayor and Deputy's kid. And then there was the whole not aging thing too.

A boy approached Ava. "Almost ready, Ava?"

Henry's smile fell. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. She was probably just making conversation while she waited.

"This is my brother Nicholas," she introduced them.

Nicholas looked at Henry. "Hi," he smiled. Henry perked up again.

"Ready to go, bud?" David asked, his hand on Henry's shoulder. He noticed the twins. Ava and Nicholas looked at David with wide eyes. "Oh. Hello."

"Hi," they said simultaneously. "Come on, let's just go," Nicholas whispered to Ava. Ava shook her head and looked at Henry. "You wanna walk to school with us?" she asked.

Henry looked up at him. "Can I, Dad?" David, obviously caught off guard, looked at Henry then at the other kids. "Please?"

"Sure," he said unsurely, after a beat. "Stay out of trouble." He ruffled Henry's hair then left the store. "Have a good day at school."

Henry picked up his backpack from the floor and followed the siblings. Nicholas tried to open the door but Mr. Clark stopped him by placing a hand on the door.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked, his words immediately followed by a sneeze. He pointed at Henry. "Open up your bag."

"What?"

"Don't think I didn't see you rob me," he said into a tissue.

He was Sneezy. The Sneezy. The elated feeling of his discovery was cut short when Mr. Clark said, "Open your bag."

"But," Henry's face scrunched up, "I didn't take anything."

Mr. Clark grabbed Henry's bag and opened it. He pulled a chocolate bar out. "And a liar too."

Henry turned to Ava. "That's why you were talking to me," he said, hurt. "So your brother could put that stuff in there."

"Henry, I'm shocked." He turned to the siblings. "And you two, just who do you think you are?"

_**...**_

"That's not possible I was in here seconds ago."

"I'm sorry, Deputy," Mr. Clark said to David, "but your son was shoplifting."

"My son," David said immediately, "knows better than to steal."

"Look for yourself-"

He lifted his son's backpack from the counter and zipped it up. "That won't be necessary. It was those two," David cut in, the hand on Henry's back directing him to the door. Just that moment Emma walked in.

"Henry," she said, confused. "What happened?"

"Nothing that concerns you. This is a family issue."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm here because Graham sent me. That and it's your morning off."

"Right, then. Go on, do your job." Emma walked passed them. Once they were outside, David's attention went back to Henry. He crouched in front of him. "Are you okay?" he asked him, remembering Henry's hopeful look when he asked, "Can I, Dad?"

Henry put his bag back onto his shoulders and shrugged.

"Hey," he said, trying to cheer him up, "how do you feel about a trip?"

It had the intended effect. "A trip?" Henry asked excitedly. "As in out of town?"

David thought of past family vacations and smiled. "Yeah. Your mom wants to get some stuff for the baby. Clothes, toys, blankets, y'know that type of thing."

"Oh," Henry deflated. "Okay." He shook his head. "Yeah. It sounds like fun." He tried to regain some of his previous excitement. "Where are we going?"

_**...**_

"These kids are on their own," David said in exasperation to his blonde co-worker. She hadn't followed through on the correct procedure in dealing with the twins and had got blazing mad when he stepped in to assist. "They need help. They-"

"Which is exactly what I'm trying to do," she cut in. "I'm trying to find their father."

"Yeah. Well, he doesn't exist."

"He has to."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, biologically, he exists." He was probably just another statistic, another deadbeat who refused to take responsibility, who refused to man up. "But there's no record of him, which means we have no choice. These children need a foster home-"

"Storybrooke has a foster system?" Emma asked dubiously, but there was some hope in her voice.

"No," David said after a moment. He went on before she had a chance. "But I have contacted the state. Maine's group homes, unfortunately, are filled. But they put us in touch in two homes in Boston. A boy's home and a girl's."

"They're separating them?"

David had tried to find a group home but they were all full. He sighed. "I don't like it either. But we've got no choice. They need to be in Boston tonight to get these spots. Graham'll take them."

"I'll be taking who where?" Graham asked, just entering the station.

"The Zimmer twins," David answered. "Group Homes in Boston."

Graham was about to speak but Emma cut him off. She stepped in front of him and faced David. "No, I promised them they wouldn't be separated."

"Well, then you shouldn't make promises you can't keep," he snapped. "They need a home."

"Exactly," she said, matching his irritation. "Let me find them their best one. Let me find their father."

"Alright," Graham said. He stepped out from behind Emma. "You have the rest of the day."

"Thank you, Graham!"

David shook his head. "To find and convince him to take them in," he pointed out.

Emma glared at him before she took the keys from Graham. He kissed her on the cheek. Emma pulled her red leather jacket off the coat rack.

"Good luck," David called after her.

_**...**_

"Oh, hey," Mary-Margaret said from where she stood at the kitchen counter. She poured water from the kettle into a mug.

Emma walked in and looked around.

"Where are the kids?" Mary-Margaret turned around. "I thought you brought them home with you?"

"I was going to..." She paused to wipe up some split water. "But then they left with Regina."

"What?" Emma exclaimed.

"They left with Regina," Mary-Margaret said again, slowly this time. "She came to fetch Henry, spoke to them and then they all left. I assumed there was a change in plans and you forgot to mention it." Mary-Margaret looked at Emma in confusion. "So did you find them a home?"

"No. I have to go," she said. She turned and ran out the door.

If they thought she was going to let them ship those kids off to Boston they had another thing coming. Her day wasn't up.

_**...**_

Emma walked into the mansion. She didn't even bother to knock in her impatience. Her ears pricked up and tuned in on the sound of laughter. It was coming from the left. Emma walked across the foyer and neared the kitchen.

The scene froze her. It was probably one of- Nope, it was the very last thing Emma expected to see. The island was covered in flour. There were mixing bowls and cookie cutters, spatulas and icing bags, measuring cups and cooling racks with cookies, a few butterfly shaped ones decorated in different designs with bright colours and sprinkles.

Henry reached across the counter for a jar of cherries and accidently hit over a bowl of icing Ava was mixing. It fell onto the floor and all over Ava's apron and t-shirt.

The kitchen turned silent. They all stopped and looked at him. Henry's eyes widened as he looked at his mother. Regina looked like she was going to scold him then laughed. The kids joined in a second later, obviously relaxed by her reaction.

"Clumsy," she laughed holding his chin for a moment. Then she looked at Ava. "Come on, let's get you a clean shirt." She directed the girl out of the kitchen. Then finally noticed Emma.

"Ms. Swan," she said brightly.

"Hey..." Emma said uncomfortably.

This woman was bipolar. Either that or she had multiple personalities. Or she was just batshit crazy, Emma thought.

She wiped her hands on her apron. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Actually," Emma started, "I was hoping to speak to the kids."

"Oh?" Emma nodded. "Just give us a moment," she said of herself and Ava. She walked to the staircase then turned around. "Boys..." They looked up, fingers full of icing and sprinkles. "Clean up."

With a collective groan, Nicholas and Henry started on their chore. Emma had to smile.

She stepped into the kitchen and rolled up her sleeves. "You guys want some help?" Emma offered.

"Yeah," Henry said at the same time Nicholas exclaimed, "Oh, yes please."

They spent a good while on returning the kitchen to its original state. There was a homeyness to it Emma would never have expected. From her time in the Mayor's Office, she assumed the rest of the mansion would follow that decorative theme. But the kitchen was light and welcoming, its walls white instead of that horrid black and white print. There was a brick section with a few wines and special bottle openers. And a knife holder and a bowl of red apples on one of the counters.

The island was now clear of all the cutting boards, mixing bowls, icing bags and sprinkles, of all evidence of their work except for the finished product - the cookies.

It looked like something out of a magazine, the picture perfectness of it all. Emma looked at Henry and Nicholas as they stood at the sink. They were washing their hands and talking between themselves.

Emma wondered briefly what it was like for Henry to have been raised in an environment like this. She heard Regina and Ava's footsteps on the stairs. Ava asked a question that Emma couldn't hear, and was answered by Regina's laughed, "Yes, dear."

They stepped into the kitchen. Emma's brows rose when she saw Ava. Her hair was now tied up in a high ponytail and her top was different. She no longer wore the shabby grey-pink hoodie but instead a dark blue long-sleeved top. The sleeves were long and reached her knuckles.

Ava gave Emma a nervous smile when she noticed she was watching her.

"Good job, boys," Regina praised. She looked at then proudly then turned to Emma. "Deputy Swan. You said you wanted to speak to them?"

_**...**_

They were in the living room now. The twins sat on the grey sofa facing her. Emma sat in the armchair next to them, a cardboard box on her lap.

"I want to show you guys something." She opened the box.

"What's that?" Nicholas asked.

"It's my baby blanket, something I've held onto my whole life. It's the only thing that I have. From _my_ parents." She looked at them for a moment, allowing that to sink in. "I've spent a lot of time with a lot of kids in your situation. And all of them- all of _us_," she corrected, "we hold onto stuff. I want to find your father, but I need your help. Is there anything of his you've held onto?"

Ava and Nicholas shared a look. "I might have something," Ava said eventually. "But if I give it to you... You'll make sure we stay together, right?"

Emma nodded and put away her baby blanket. Ava crossed the room and took something out of her bag. She handed it to Emma.

"A compass?"

"Our mom kept it," Ava explained. "She said it was our Dad's."

Emma looked at it for a moment. "Thank you." She was about to get up.

"Did you find them?" Nicholas blurted.

Emma froze. "Who?"

Nicholas fiddled with his thumbs. "Your parents," Ava asked for him.

"No," she confessed. "Not yet. But I'm gonna find yours," she promised them.

_**...**_

"He's in a coma," Emma exclaimed as she paced the length of his office. "A coma!"

"And you don't want to tell them," Graham guessed.

She stopped to look at him. "I can't. Because all I'll be telling them is that the false hope I gave them is exactly that."

Graham hesitated. "The truth," he began slowly, "might be painful, Emma... But it might also be cathartic."

Emma scoffed. "I agree on the painful part." She stopped to think. "Maybe we can hide the kids, just until we can find a family for them, someone to take care of them." Graham gave her a look. Emma groaned in frustration. "I don't want to be the person that sends them into the system."

"It's supposed to help."

Emma scoffed. "Yeah 'cause being used as a meal ticket is just the type of thing any kid needs."

"I'm pretty sure they're not all like that."

She turned to face him. His tone was comforting and gentle. "All the ones I was in were," she admitted softly. His expression turned sympathetic.

Emma looked to the familiar click clack of heels on the floor.

"Deputy Swan, Sheriff," she greeted. "I hope I'm not interrupting another round of darts."

Graham laughed.

Emma was immediately on the defensive. "What are you doing here? Checking up on me? I'm working on getting them in a home. So you can back off."

Regina laughed. "Actually," she said, "I'm here to tell you that that won't be necessary."

"What?"

_**...**_

"It was Henry's idea, actually," she told her. "Besides David and I had thought of adopting again before the pregnancy."

Kathryn gave a disbelieving laugh. "Oh so you just decided, out of the goodness of your heart, to take in not one but _two_ twelve-year-olds?"

"Yes," she said somewhat defensively. "Why is that so hard to believe?" Kathryn laughed again. Regina forced herself to relax. "And it's just temporary. Until we can find a better, more... permanent, living arrangement for them."

"Regina Mills taking in orphans," she shook her head. "The press is going to eat this up." Kathryn smirked. "Ahhh. There it is. The new angle for your fourth term campaign. Albert Spencer won't stand a chance."

Regina stopped walking. "He's running?" she asked in shock. She hadn't even thought of what repercussions the Curse's weakening would have on her job.

"Yeah," Kathryn sighed. "Him and a few others, a judge - Marvin Canes - and some lady trying to climb the ladder. Widow Arytle, I think." She shrugged then turned back to look at Regina. "Wouldn't worry about it if I were you."

Regina licked her ice-cream cone and started walking again. They heard a motorbike and looked to the sound. The rider pulled up and approached them. Warily, the two women took a step forward. The stranger smiled at them.

"Hi," he greeted.

Kathryn said, "Hi."

"Is this Storybrooke?"

"Yes," Kathryn and Regina said at the same time.

He looked between the two of them and spoke to Kathryn. "Any place to get a room around here?"

"You're staying?" Regina blurted.

"That's the plan." He looked at her like she was a child he was enjoying explaining the alphabet to. "I'm just looking for a bed."

"Oh, well, Granny's Bed and Breakfast is just off the road, another two blocks," Kathryn offered.

"Thank you," he said. He walked back to his bike.

"I'm sorry," Regina stepped forward. "I didn't quite catch your name."

"That's 'cause I didn't give it," he said. He got on his bike and drove off.

Kathryn looked at Regina in confusion. "Strange how quickly our tourism has gone up in the last few weeks."

"Indeed," Regina said, more to herself than Kathryn.


	9. Chapter 9

After supper the three of them brought the dishes into the kitchen. Henry carried the plates and Nicholas had the glasses and cutlery. Ava was in the living room, packing away the placemats and wiping off the table.

Regina had one hand on her stomach as she leaned against the counter, humming. She smiled when her child responded with a kick. It felt like butterflies in her womb.

Henry instructed Nicholas on how to use the dishwasher. Ava came into the kitchen then and went to help them. The two boys stood side by side at the sink, rinsing off the dishes before passing them to Ava. She loaded the dishwasher. They worked well together, Regina noted.

"Can we have the cookies now?" Nicholas asked, once they were done.

"Yes."

The boys cheered and snatched two each from the cooling racks on the counter. Ava dried her hands and looked at the cookies, trying to choose one. She settled on a butterfly and nibbled on it as she walked out of the kitchen.

_**...**_

Regina showed Nicholas to a guest bedroom near Henry's. It was plain and unwelcoming to a child, anonymous. Henry would have called it boring. But Nicholas looked at it like it was a palace.

"Awesome," he declared. He dropped his bag and walked into the room.

"I'm glad you like it," Regina smiled. "The bathroom's opposite Henry's room. There's a cupboard under the sink with new toothbrushes and face cloths. Feel free to pick whichever you like best."

"Okay," he said brightly. He jumped on the bed, bounced and landed on his back. "Sooooo comfy," he moaned.

Regina chuckled and looked at Ava. The girl was skeptical. She looked like she was waiting for the catch.

Regina nudged her outside. "Come on," she said softly.

She led Ava to a room with a black door. It was further from the boys' rooms but much bigger. Regina opened the door. Ava gasped, one hand covered her mouth. Then she turned to Regina, as if asking for permission to enter. Regina nodded. Ava walked in slowly. She came to a stop in the centre of the room and looked at the bed. She turned back to Regina, her eyes teary even though she was grinning.

"There's an en suite so you won't have to share a bathroom with the boys. And that door," Regina pointed to it, "leads to a closet." She looked at the flat screen mounted on the wall facing the bed. "I'm not sure if the TV works, but-"

"Is this really all for me?" Ava asked in wonderment.

Regina nodded slowly. She tried to keep the sadness and guilt from her expression.

"Really?" Ava sounded excited now.

"Yes, dear."

Ava threw her arms around her in a brief hug. Then pulled away quickly, embarrassed by her reaction. Regina cleared her throat and switched topics.

"Have you finished all you homework?" Ava nodded and stepped back. "Good. Get some sleep then. There should be toiletries in your bathroom. If there isn't-"

"The cupboard under the sink in the other bathroom," Ava said for her with a smile.

"Okay..." Regina said. "Well, my room is just down that passage," she pointed to it, "if you need anything."

Ava followed her finger. "Okay," she bobbed her head. "Got it."

"Alright." Regina stood uncertainly in the doorway for a moment. "Goodnight Ava."

"Goodnight Regina."

_**...**_

Henry laid in his bed thinking. He thought of Nicholas' expression when Regina showed him to his room, of Ava's whispered, "Really?" and how she'd hugged his mom when she said, "Yes, dear."

They hadn't noticed he was there. And he felt like he wasn't supposed to be. So after heard that, he quietly retreated to his bedroom.

Their reactions didn't make any sense to him. It was just a room. And they weren't even cool. Okay, fine, Ava's room had a TV, but... Their rooms were plain and boring. All white and... neat. When he suggested that Ava and Nicholas stay with them, he never actually thought his parents would say yes. Well, he knew his dad would but Regina...

It was a test.

And she passed.

She was trying to make up for cursing them.

And that was a good thing.

But them being here... living with them...

Henry didn't like it. It made him feel...

He thought it was a good idea when he suggested it. But he hadn't thought it through. He didn't think she'd actually listen to him. He expected her to tell him no and find somewhere else for them.

Henry startled when his door opened and his mom walked in. She came to his bed and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight sweetheart."

"Mom?" he said. He sat up quickly when she tried to leave.

"Hmm?"

She turned to him with a tired smile. She frowned and sat down next to him. He took a moment to tried to figure out what exactly it was he wanted to say. He couldn't. He hugged her instead. His arms around her neck.

"G'night," he said quickly then laid back down.

She lingered by his side for a moment. She brushed the hair away from his forehead. She looked down at him with a soft smile. "I love you, Henry."

He smiled. "Love you too."

_**...**_

David set down three identical red bowls in front of the three children. They were up thirty minutes earlier than usual so, of course, Henry was yawning. Nicholas too, but Ava just blinked at him. Henry's hair was stuck up in all directions. He rubbed at his eye. David filled the bowls with cheerios. Nicholas' eyes lit up and David smiled.

Ava stopped him when he went to pour milk over Nicholas' serving. "He can't have dairy."

"Oh," David pulled his hand back and poured it into her and Henry's bowls instead. He walked to the fridge and placed that carton back. "Goat milk okay?" Nicholas made a face. "Almond?"

Nicholas looked at Ava. She turned to David and nodded. "Yeah."

He brought the milk and added it to the bowl. Then went back to the fridge and took out three juice boxes. He went to Regina's side. She stood by the other counter, making their lunches. The two of them worked in silence, her cutting cucumber slices and carrot sticks while he got out fruit and three lunchboxes.

"Any other dietary restrictions, Nick?" Regina asked.

"Huh?" he said around a mouthful of cereal.

"Nuts," Ava answered.

"Nuts," Regina repeated to herself. She pushed the peanut butter aside and stepped back to open the top cupboard. She took out the Nutella, read the label then put it back.

"Cheese?" David suggested.

She shook her head. "No dairy," she reminded. "Ham?" She looked at Nicholas. "Ham okay?"

He swallowed his spoonful. "Yes, please." He nodded eagerly.

She went to fetch it out of the fridge. David spoke over his shoulder. "You two have any requests?"

"No, thank you," Ava said politely. "Anything's fine."

"Nutella!" Henry exclaimed. "Pleeeeeease."

David laughed and took the jar out. He spread it on the bread and placed their sandwiches into their lunchboxes with the honey crisp apples and veg Regina had been cutting. He went to the coffeemaker and filled himself a cup. He took a sip. It was cold. He went to the microwave and collided with Regina just as she closed the fridge.

"Ugh."

Shit. She looked down and groaned. He nearly did too. Her shirt was wet and clung to her, outlined curves that had been frequenting his dreams.

"David!"

That snapped him out it. "Sorry."

He placed his cup down and grabbed the dishtowel. She snatched it out of his hands when he tried to wipe off her shirt. The kids laughed. Her head snapped to them, faux irritation. Her eyes narrowed in a warning look. They laughed again. A smile pulled at her lips. Her wickedly red lips.

"I'm going to change," she said. She threw the towel at David as she left the kitchen, hips swaying.

Henry's slurping pulled his attention back to them, back to the kids at the counter. They were just finishing their breakfast.

"Alright, upstairs," he shooed them. "Go get dressed."

_**...**_

"Regina," Ava knocked on the open door before entering.

Regina looked at her through the mirror and fixed the cuffs on her blazer. "Yes, dear?" She smoothed out her purple blouse and stood.

Ava looked nervous. "C-can you..."

Regina noticed the brush in her hands. "Would you like me to do your hair again?"

Ava smiled and nodded. She led her to the vanity and started combing through her long, wavey, sand-blonde locks.

_**...**_

Regina glanced at her watch. 07:43. The kids were waiting in the foyer with her. Henry wore his blue winter coat and Ava and Nicholas had on some old jackets that seriously needed to be replaced.

They didn't even have the school cardigan like Henry. Well, Nicholas did, but it was so faded it hardly looked blue.

"David?" she called, hand on the staircase.

"A minute," he replied.

Regina was getting impatient. Ava looked around aimlessly. She retreated into herself. Henry and Nicholas were in a heated debate about who would actually win between Wolverine and the Hulk.

"No way! The Hulk's bigger. And way stronger-"

"Yeah," Nicholas agreed, "but all he does is smash, smash, smash. Fighting isn't all about strength, it's also about technique." He flexed his arms and did a monster voice. "I Hulk. I SMASH!"

"Watch it," Ava snapped when he bumped into her.

"Sorry," he and Henry laughed.

"David," Regina called again before she walked up the three steps. "David," she said, confused, after entering the kitchen. He was fiddling with the coffeemaker. "What are you doing?"

"I think it's broken," he said.

She looked at him for a moment longer. Then took a step forward. "Well, we really need to get going," she said. "School starts in twenty minutes." He grunted. "We can stop by Granny's on the way," she offered. "If you still want coffee."

He stood, still looking at the coffeemaker. "Yeah... Okay," he sighed.

He looked up. She saw how close they stood and made to move backward. He caught her hand.

"Are you going to avoid me again today? Or can I come by with lunch as usual?"

She pulled her hand back. "I haven't been avoiding you," she said defensively. "I've-"

"Yes, yes you have," he cut her off gently. "So... lunch?"

She pressed her lips together in a line and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's Friday. The kids are going to be out early. One of us needs to fetch them," she said instead.

"Okay," he smiled. "I'll pick them up."

_**...**_

Regina pulled the car over outside Granny's. David undid his seatbelt, made to open the door then stopped and turned to her.

"You want anything? Tea? Hot chocolate? Vanilla milkshake?" he added, trying to ease out of the silence that had crept up on them during the drive.

The boys were still talking animatedly in the back seat and barely paid them any mind.

She smiled. "Hot chocolate. No sugar."

"Okay."

He got out the car and walked to Granny's. Once inside he bumped into Mary-Margaret. Her books fell out of her hands.

"Oh, sorry," she exclaimed.

"No, that's my fault," he said quickly.

He bent to help her. It was student workbooks, he saw. He helped her get them all into a pile then lifted it into her arms. She avoided his eyes. He held the door open for her. She left and he went to the counter.

"Jesus," Ruby exclaimed.

She leaned forward over the counter. David shook his head and looked away from her cleavage. He followed her line of sight through the window. He saw Regina standing outside the car, scolding Nicholas and Henry. She turned and he saw her from the side, the bump evident. She looked about five months now even though she was almost eight.

"You two adopt again?"

He looked back at Ruby with a small smile and a shrug. "We're fostering. That's Nicholas Zimmer," he pointed to the pouting boy next to Henry. "And his sister, Ava."

He couldn't really see her from where he stood but Ruby nodded nonetheless.

"You guys are insane," she said with a sympathetic look. "Anyway," she sighed. "Your order?"

"Right. Can I get one coffee - one cream, two sugar. And a hot chocolate - no sugar. To go."

"Kay."

She went to the machine, made his order and came back. He handed her a bill. She gave him his change. He took the two takeaway cups and left. Regina ended her call just as he reached her and took the offered cup gratefully. She hummed at the taste. Then handed it back to him.

"I think this one's yours," she said. They swapped cups. She pouted after a sip. "I like that one better."

"Can we go?" Henry groaned from the back seat, grouchy. "We're gonna be late," he huffed.

David looked at Henry then back to Regina, his gaze questioning. She just rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about it," she told him. She made to open her door. He got it for her. "What a gentleman," she chuckled, touching his cheek.

He smiled, closed the door and got in on the passenger side. Her smile was gone by the time he put his seatbelt on.

He suddenly thought of the hospital, of Henry's concerned look before it was replaced by practiced hate. And of all her smiles in the past week, steadily reserved and replaced by calculated coldness. He reached for her hand, the one not on the steering wheel, and was surprised when she didn't pull away. When instead their fingers intertwined and her thumb moved back and forth across the front of his hand. He looked at her profile and saw she wasn't paying attention, that this touch was instinctive. He kept his grip lax. He was scared that if he moved or brought attention to it, she'd stop. That she'd remove her hand and he'd have to remember the feel of it in his.

She drove him to the station after they dropped the kids off, after quick goodbyes and the fixing of beanies and jackets, after discovering Henry had forgotten his lunch at home and Nicholas saying they could share his, that there was no way he could finish all of it by himself, and Henry being positively ecstatic about having someone to sit with during lunch. That was a bittersweet moment, David thought. Henry had finally made a friend.

David leaned over to kiss Regina goodbye in the car. She turned so that his lips met her cheek instead. He sat for a moment longer, confused. She turned the key in the engine. He sighed, left the car and walked into the station.

_**...**_

Emma dropped her half-eaten bear claw onto her plate, still laughing at Graham.

"I can't..." Another laugh. She stopped to catch her breath. "Say it again," she begged through laughs, her eyes tearing at the corners.

The phone rang. Emma picked it up, still laughing. "Sheriff Station," she said.

"Ms. Swan?"

Shit. Emma sobered up. "Good morning, Madam Mayor," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Is David there?"

Emma looked to his desk, then around the station. "Nope." She put her hand over the receiver and mouthed, "Where's David?" to Graham.

"Patrol," he responded.

"He's out patrolling," Emma said into the phone.

"Oh."

A few seconds passed.

"Was there a message or something?" Emma asked uncertainly, wondering why she was calling here.

"No, I just... I tried his phone earlier but I couldn't get through. I thought... he might be there. He's supposed to... Nevermind. Sorry to bother you."

"Oh, no that's-" She hung up. "-fine," Emma finished.

She picked up her radio. "David, you copy? David?" No answer. She heard buzzing on the other end.

"Something wrong?"

Emma thought about it then shrugged. "Nope."

_**...**_

"David, I really don't think we should be in here," she said again.

"It's fine," he dismissed.

Outside of the small cabin, the winds howled, the rain poured and the sky rumbled with thunder.

He tried his phone again. No signal. His radio. Nothing but static on the other end. David sighed and looked at his watch. 11:50. He was going to be late to fetch the kids. It would be suicide to even think about going outside. He'd just have to wait it out.

Mary-Margaret set the birdcage down by the door.

He was out patrolling when he heard a scream and went to investigate. Then he'd saved Mary-Maragret from nearly falling into a ravine. She fell on top of him and the other night flashed before his eyes - things became awkward.

It had started raining and he rushed them to this cabin when he saw it. "No, I have to get her to her flock," she said, resisting his attempts to shelter her under his umbrella. "Forget about the damn bird!" he snapped before kicking the door open.

And now they were here. In a deserted cabin in the middle of the woods, with rain outside and warm flames in a rustic fireplace.

A romantic set-up, he noted.

Mary-Margaret rubbed her hands together and blew into them, trying to warm herself. Her breath came out in a white mist. He looked around the cabin and found a cupboard. He lifted out a blue quilt.

"Here." He put it around her shoulders.

She shrugged his hands off but kept the quilt. David stepped back and looked out the window.

"Why are you out here?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

He looked at her. "Shouldn't you be at school? Teaching?"

"Oh!" she realised. "I- I- I- I don't know." She started rambling, "This morning after first period I went for a walk to clear my head, got lost, found the bird, took her to the animal shelter. Found out that her flock leaves today and that if she doesn't meet them she'll never see them again. I let the school know I wouldn't be for the rest of the day and then I came back here to set her free. So that she could-"

"You risked your life for bird?" he asked skeptically.

She looked at the bird by the door then nodded.

_**...**_

They had been sitting in silence for about half an hour when the rain finally stopped. He hardly noticed it until Mary-Margaret sprung up and leapt out the door with the words: "The rain. It's stopped." And then she set the bird free and he stopped to watch as it met its flock.

_**...**_

"Oh," she gasped when his arms came around her. Then looked up. "David." Regina relaxed when she saw it was him. "Hi," she smiled.

He found himself pleasantly surprised by her reaction and smiled back. "Hi."

Usually, he wouldn't have thought twice about hugging her. Would have taken this small action for granted, but now he found himself immensely grateful for it. He rested his head on her shoulder, resisted the urge to move her hair and kiss her neck. Then startled when she moved. Regina brought her hand to his neck. He took the hint and leaned down quickly. She kissed him. It was light and brief, barely a peck of the lips, but more than he'd gotten in a while and he ate it up greedily.

When he pulled back to look at her, her face merged with another image. Her again, in dark and dramatic make-up, black eyes and red lips, a high and elaborate hairstyle and a dress that sported an outrageous amount of cleavage.

The image faded away to show his wife. Her eyes opened slowly. She looked contempt. He took a chance and stole another chaste kiss. She hummed and looked back at the school. She threaded her fingers with his on top of her stomach. They were a few minutes early.

"I couldn't reach you earlier."

"Yeah, sorry," he sighed. "The signal was really bad. And then I got stuck in a cabin in the woods, waiting out the rain." With Mary-Margaret, he didn't bother to add. He looked up at the sky. "I think it would be wise for us to stay in this weekend." He sighed and shrugged. "Guess the trip's off."

"We could leave tonight," she said. "Before it hits."

"But we didn't arrange sitters-"

"No, I meant..." Regina looked up at him. "We could take them with us. Ava and Nicholas. Get them some things too. They need it. They've been living in those same two pairs of jeans and worn out clothes for who knows how long. They need it," she said again. "And haircuts."

David chuckled. He recalled how her eyes had narrowed in on Nicholas's hair that morning.

He set his face to her neck, breathed in her smell and sighed out, "Alright."

_**...**_

Ava was the first one out of school. She'd practically jumped out of her seat and ran out of class as soon as the bell dismissed them.

School was different today. Usually she and Nicholas were barely glanced at. Ava didn't mind that. She enjoyed being left alone, preferred it actually. But today, she couldn't escape the curious looks from other student or questions from the teachers. Up until today they never called on her to answer questions.

The first time it had happened, the whole class had stared at her and she'd sputtered over her answer. Her cheeks burned until Alex took pity on her and gave Mrs. Smith the answer. He tried to talk to her at lunch too. But she ignored his attempts and went to find her brother.

His day was better, she saw. Marginally better. He'd made several new friends, Henry included. Ava saw them all sitting together at the outside tables at lunch. They were laughing and talking. Henry threw a grape and it landed in some boy's mouth. She turned, dejected, and went to where she and Nicholas usually sat - the bleachers.

Now, she was outside school, her faded red bag slung over one shoulder. She noticed Regina and David near the Mercedes.

"That was quick," David remarked. He let go of Regina. "You run out of class or something?"

"No," Ava said, head ducked in embarrassment.

"Ava," Regina smiled. She opened and arm out for her.

"Hey," Ava replied. She tried not be awkward when she side-hugged her.

Regina kept an arm around her. Ava was uncomfortable for a moment then relaxed. "How was school?"

"It was... It was okay."

David's phone rang and he walked off to answer it. "Graham?" she heard him ask.

Regina wiped some strands away from her eyes. Her hair had come loose from the braid Regina made her this morning so she just tied it back in a high ponytail after third period.

Regina and Ava looked back at the school. Its doors were overflowing with students trying to elbow past each other. Ava was glad to have avoided that. She stood straighter and moved closer to Regina, allowing the woman to put an arm around her shoulders.

"And there are the boys," Regina told her.

Ava followed her gaze and saw them. Henry was walking backwards as he spoke to Nicholas. They almost didn't notice the two of them.

Regina cleared her throat, alerting Henry before he bumped into her.

"Oh," he hopped forward and spun around. "Hi Mom." He smiled. "Hey Ava."

"Hi Regina," Nicholas said brightly.

"Hello, Henry," she said, rolling her eyes. She pulled him forward with her other hand and bent to kiss his head. She ruffled Nicholas' hair. "And hello, Nick."

Ava saw her brother smile at the nickname.

"Well, I've got the rest of the day and the weekend off," David said. He looked at the twins. "You two ever been to Boston?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Can I go see Emma before we leave?"

David looked up. He was in the living room, reading through the shopping list he'd compiled.

"Um..." he looked at his watch. "Okay. Do you need me to drop you off-"

"No, thanks," Henry said quickly. "I asked her to meet me by my castle." Then he ran to the front door, his bicycle helmet in his grasp. "Bye Dad." And then he was gone.

_**...**_

"Hey, kid." Henry rode past her. "Nice to... see you too." Emma rolled her eyes and walked to the small wooden playground.

Henry got off his bike and started digging in the sand.

"Kid..." Emma came closer, confused. "What are you doing?" He uncovered a red metal box and pulled it up. "What's that?"

"A box."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I can see that. What's it for?"

"Operation Cobra," he answered like it was obvious. He took a key out of his pocket and unlocked it. Then he opened his bag and took his book out. "We're leaving and I want to make sure the book is safe. In case somebody's after it."

"Nobody's after your book."

"They might be," he huffed. "It's dangerous."

Emma sighed. She was becoming more and more frustrated each time he brought up the Curse. Therapy was going well, according to his parents and shrink. His relationship with his mother had greatly improved. But Henry's belief in _the Curse_ was unwavering now. It didn't make any sense to her. Wasn't the obsession supposed to go away now?

She kept her tone light though. "And, what, keeping it under your mattress wasn't good enough?"

He rolled his eyes. "That would be the first place they looked." He locked the box.

"With me?"

He placed it back and started covering it with sand. "Second place."

"Okay... What about with your parents? At one of their offices?"

He stopped and looked at her, thoughtful now. "That's actually a good idea." Then he covered the box with sand and handed her the key. "Please don't loose this," he begged.

"I'll guard it with my life," Emma promised with only a slight eye roll.

"Thanks Emma," and then he was off again. "See you Monday," he yelled before he rode away on his bicycle.

Emma smiled and held the key firmer in her hand. "See you Monday, kid."

_**...**_

The children had their own suite, separate from Regina and David's.

They'd left at about two, after finishing homework, packing luggage and having lunch. Henry had been worried earlier, had asked Regina if she was sure it was safe for them to go.

"Because of the Curse," he'd elaborated.

"Oh. Yes. It's perfectly safe," she'd explained. "the Curse only prevents people from leaving if their intention is never to come back."

Now, she was on the couch, in front of the fireplace in their suite. Regina was curled into David's side. She was enjoying the warmth of the fire and the background noise of the city. She'd always felt it was too quiet in Storybrooke. She thought of earlier, of the receptionist who referred to her as Mrs. Nolan. She caught David smirking at her before she corrected the girl, by stating she may address her as Mayor Mills. "I kept my name," Regina told her. David chuckled at that before shaking his head and thanking the girl for their room keys.

"We still haven't decided on a name," David said suddenly. His hand ran up and down her arm, fingers making invisible patterns. "Any suggestions?"

Regina thought for a moment. "None. What about you?" He shrugged. "It has to be something that goes with Mills-Nolan," she said thoughtfully.

"Nolan-Mills."

"Mills-Nolan," she repeated. "I'm going to have to endure an extreme amount of pain to bring him into this world. My name's first."

David laughed. "Henry's after your father," he said after a moment. "What about after mine?"

Regina looked up sharply. Realization dawned on him and a flash of old pain came over his eyes. All that regret of the first few weeks of their relationship came back. She felt sick at the thought that she had cursed him to this pain, to not having a past, even a hazy one. She sat up and shifted to touch his leg.

"I'm sorry."

David looked away. "It's okay." She wanted to say more. He shook his head. "It's fine. I just... I just forget sometimes, you know."

Regina nodded and laid her head down on his chest again. _Sometimes it's much easier than remembering_, she thought.

She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat, to the crackling fire and the cars outside. After a few minutes, once they had settled again into a comfortable silence again, she shifted and moved into his lap. His arm came around her shoulders. His other hand rested on her calf. Regina looked up at him. His eyes were closed, head leaned back against the couch. She rested her head on his shoulder, her face half turned in the crook of his neck. Without thinking, she kissed the skin there. She only realised she'd done it when she felt his hum against her lips. His arm came up from her leg to her waist and wrapped around her. He shifted back a bit to make himself more comfortable. She gave a pleased hum and snuggled further into him.

She was dozing off when he moved. He stood and carried her bridal style to the hotel bed.

"I think," she blinked her eyes open, "you like carrying me."

He set her down on the bed with a hummed laugh. She sat on the edge and tried to keep her eyes open. His fingers caressed the side of her face. His touch was light, almost ticklish. She leaned into his hand, too relaxed to resist. His palm cupped her cheek. He tilted her face upward. She opened her eyes and looked at him. His eyes were searching.

"What?" she asked softly.

He bent a bit, leaned down, his expression thoughtful. She swallowed and closed her eyes again. Nodded to the question in his eyes. His lips touched hers, just a touch not a kiss, a moment of contact before he pulled away. She found him waiting for her reaction. Regina leaned up, her hands reached for the lapels of his shirt, and brought him down again. They were both hesitant this time, both unsure. She wanted to pull him on top of her, to give in like she had that night in her home office, to forget again. And this time to be more open, allow him to pull her against him, to hold her, to hold him, to talk to him as they normally would. She wanted things to go back to how they were.

"I love you," she heard herself say, a breath short of his lips.

He pulled back in surprise. She hadn't told him that since the day she remembered. He had though, every day, every single day, without fail. He didn't respond, still surprised. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She could only imagine how horrible he must have felt when she hadn't said it back.

She reached for his hands. "So much," she whispered. "_So_ much, David."

"I love you too." He knelt in front of her. "Regina... What's... What's going on?"

She laughed tearily. His eyebrows pulled together in concern. She tried to work up the nerve to do it. She gulped down her fear and took his face in her hands. She was going to lose him. A confession wouldn't change that. Her eyes trailed over his features. The brows drawn together, his concerned and gentle blue eyes, his sharp nose, chiseled chin and pink lips. Her head tilted to you side and she smiled tearily at him.

"I've... There's something I have to tell you," she said. He nodded, concerned but encouragingly. She was going to lose him. "But I don't know how."

He opened his mouth, stopped himself, then closed it. She could see he wanted to say something but was holding back. "Okay. But when you do," he said, "when you figure it out... will you tell me?"

"Yes," she nodded, leaning in to rest her forehead against his. "I will." He gave a short nod and squeezed her hands.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he asked softly. She nodded. A few tears fell at the movement. She wiped them away quickly. "Oh, sweetie." He hugged her. She dropped her head onto his shoulder. "_Any_thing," he assured. "Whenever you're ready." He kissed the side of her head.

Regina breathed out a sigh that almost turned into a cry. "I'm really glad I married you," she whispered. "And... I'm sorry for the way things have been between us lately. I know I've been distant and-"

He kissed her. His lips pressed against hers, chaste and firm. "_I'm_ really I married _you_," he told her. "Because I honestly cannot imagine a life without you, Regina." She laughed a cry. "I can deal with a bit of distance," he said, catching her eyes. "You're working through things. I get that. But," he took her hands, "please don't shut me out completely. I _need_ you."

She looked down, couldn't meet his eyes. She was so afraid of losing him that she'd convinced herself it was better to distance herself now, that it would hurt less later. But it was killing her now. She couldn't stand the confusion in his expression whenever she pushed him away, the way his jaw crossed whenever she snapped at him. She couldn't stand all the arguments and tense silences, all the apologies she bit down. She couldn't stand keeping him at a distance anymore. It was killing her to be so cold and calculated with him, to raise all her defenses against him when he was the one person she felt she could truly be herself with. When she loved him.

"I need you too," she admitted.

_**...**_

"Morning," he said without looking up. He took a sip from his cup. He was already dressed.

"What are you doing?" she hummed. She hugged him from behind and placed a kiss to his back.

"I'm..." he pricked up at her touch. She chuckled. "I'm reading through our shopping list. I can't believe we don't have any of these things."

She let go of him and came to stand at his side. She smiled when, without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her waist. Regina looked at the list.

"What?"

She plucked it off the counter and went through the items one by one. "How?" she asked after reading through it the second time. She looked to him for an answer. He simply raised his brows and shrugged.

"Told you we should have kept some of Henry's stuff."

"I didn't think we'd need to," she mumbled. "We're going to have to split up," she said simply. "You and the boys can go get all the furniture. And clothes for Nick. And Ava and I will get the clothes, toys, feeding towels, blankets, that sort of thing."

"Wait," he looked at her. "You're going to trust my taste?"

She laughed. "I love you, but no. I trust Henry's taste. That's why he's going with you."

David put a hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. "Haha," he rolled his eyes. He looked back at the list. "What about the twins? What's their budget?" he asked before taking another sip.

"A minimum of ten outfits."

He coughed. "Minimum?" Regina nodded. He swallowed another mouthful and thought. "Okay, okay. That's... doable. Furniture. Clothes. Haircuts."

"By the end of today," she sighed.

"Well, we better get started then."

Things were better between them after their talk last night, but she still felt guilty around him. Guilt she tried to sway to enjoy what she had before it all went to hell. He looked at her questioningly.

She shook her head and smiled at him. "I'm going to take a shower."

He downed the last sip of his coffee. "Okay." He kissed her temple. "I'll check on the kids."

_**...**_

"How did the two of you manage to carry all these?" David asked, voice bewildered.

"We didn't," Regina answered simply.

Ava could hear them talking from the bathroom. She was looking into the mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself. Her hair was straightened and cut just below her shoulder blades. She now had a fringe that came just over her eyebrows. Her eyes looked greener, sharper.

Regina had swooned over her in the stores, allowed her to get practically anything she wanted. And after Ava got over her initial embarrassment and hesitation, she let herself enjoy it. She gave in to her foster mother's smiles and suggestions. She tried on different outfits and even some dresses. They had more or less the same opinion on clothes and the colour pink and ended up getting along well. The baby shopping had been even more fun and Ava found herself excited by the idea of being around to meet him.

She dried her hands and left the bathroom.

"The furniture's going to be delivered in about a week," David told Regina. He was showing her pictures on his phone.

Henry and Nicholas were sitting on the floor. They were going through his stuff. She saw a pile of comics and a few action figures mixed in with all the clothes. Regina had offered to go get some more things for her once they'd finished shopping for the baby. But that had taken longer than expected so they hadn't really gotten a chance. Plus they were leaving tomorrow.

Ava plopped down next to Henry. "What's that?" she asked.

"New comics," Nicholas announced happily.

"Yeah, limited editions," Henry added. "Oh, and check this out." He lifted an action figure.

"Which one's that again?"

"You're kidding," Nicholas said. They looked at her, disbelieving, mouths agape. "It's Tony Stark!" She looked between them and shrugged.

"Iron man," Henry tried. "The one with the-"

"Suit," Ava remembered.

Henry sighed in over-exaggerated relief. "Phew. There's still hope for you."

They laughed. Nicholas tilted his head and looked at her. His hair was cut in some style similar to Henry's new look. It looked darker and thicker, still so naturally straight, unlike hers. More modern, she thought.

"So," he said. "What you get? Well, besides the clothes."

Ava shrugged. "Jewelry. And a few books. Stuff to decorate the room."

His eyes lit up. "Oh, check this out," he got up and went to David, interrupting their conversation on the colour of wood. "Can I show Ava the lamp?"

David handed him his phone. "Sure."

Nicholas came back, swiped the screen and handed it to her. It was in the shape of a rubix cube, the coloured squares slightly transparent.

"Cool, huh? Each square lights up really bright when you turn it on."

"Yeah." She handed it back to him. "Cool."

"Mom," Henry called. "Are we going out for dinner? I'm starving!"

She was leaned back against the counter, rubbing her belly. "Let's order room service," she suggested.

"Can we go back to our suite then?" He asked. "To try out the new movies?"

"Good idea," David said. He moved toward them excitedly.

"New movies?" Regina arched an eyebrow at David. "I told you to get clothes. And you come back with comics, action figures, _and_ movies."

The three of them looked around, avoiding her eyes. David opened and closed his mouth, sputtered before he mumbled, "They're very persuasive."

"Dad!"

"And you're a child," she laughed. Then she looked at Henry. "Yes. Leave your things here. It'll be easier to pack in the morning."

"Yes," Henry and Nicholas said simultaneously. They grabbed a few new DVD's and ran for the door.

"I'm gonna go make sure they don't order anything too extravagant," he told her before following them.

Regina rolled her eyes and smiled. Then she looked at Ava in confusion. "You don't want to join them?"

Ava shook her head. "Can I stay... here?" she asked unsurely. "I can help you pack... or whatever."

"I'd actually love some company," Regina smiled. She walked over and sat on the cream couch. She leaned down and wiped some hair from Ava's eyes. "You're happy?" she asked. "With everything you've gotten? You don't want to go to another bookstore tomorrow? Or-"

"No," Ava said quickly. "Thank you, Regina. Everything's... Thank you. For it. All of it."

"You're welcome, dear."

Ava liked being called that. She'd noticed Regina never used the same endearment for all of them, Henry was _sweetheart_, Nicholas was _Nick_ and she was _dear_. Ava liked that.

Regina picked up a small white menu and started reading through it. "What shall we order?"

"Burgers?" Ava suggested.

"Burgers," she agreed.

_**...**_

They'd stayed up _way_ later than usual. One movie turned to two. Then they ordered another pizza and two became four. He'd fallen asleep during the last one. He felt proud at out lasting both David and Henry. But now Nicholas was tired. He wished he'd just gone to bed after the second one. He yawned, barely awake as he slurped his orange juice.

"Nick."

He jerked up straight in his seat. "Sorry," he mumbled, blinking to keep awake. Regina was looking at him disapprovingly.

"Looks like you guys had fun," Ava remarked dryly. She was sitting next to him.

He elbowed her. "Shut up."

"Nick."

He stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Sorry."

He looked around the table. Henry and David weren't in much better condition.

Regina sighed and signaled the waiter over. Nicholas couldn't help himself and leaned onto his hand on the table. He tuned out the noise around him. He wished for the comfortable hotel bed again. Ava was looking at him, smirking and amused.

It was kinda weird for him not to see her in old worn sneakers and faded jeans.

She was wearing a white shirt buttoned to its black collar, dark jeans and new brown leather boots. She'd taken her coat and hat off when she got into the restaurant - they were soft cashmere and dappled grey. Her hair was loose. She lifted it away from her eyes. The light reflected off the gold ring on her index finger and the "A" pendant of her chain.

She looked older.

And prettier.

"Wait till Alex sees you," he teased when he first saw her. She'd hit him.

Regina looked up quickly from closing the hotel door. "Who's Alex?" she asked carefully.

Ava glared at him. Then answered, "He's in my class."

Then Henry had arrived with David and made the same joke, which prompted Regina's questions. Ava's face turned bright red.

Nicholas smiled at the memory. Then yawned. He slouched. Then sat up straight before Regina could say anything. The waiter cleared the table and brought the bill. Once it was paid, Regina stood. "Looks like I'm driving," she said, lips pursed at David.

"No no no," he shook his head. "I can still do it." He reached for his coffee cup and seemed surprised to find it gone. She raised an eyebrow. David sighed in surrender and handed her the keys.

Nicholas shrugged on his white woolen jacket and orange beanie. He had on a long-sleeved black tee and dark jeans. He liked his new shoes and was careful not to scuff the leather as he walked.

Ava and Regina walked ahead, arms linked together and heads close, talking. Ava looked back at Nicholas - he stuck his tongue out at her - then to Regina again. She said something that made her laugh. Her boots made her taller, almost the same height as Regina.

"Henry," Nicholas said to the boy next to him. "Who was I in your book?"

"Hansel," he responded immediately. "And Ava was Gretel. Kinda weird that her name's Ava here 'cause," he stopped to yawn, "that was Snow White's mother's name in the Enchanted Forest."

"Oh." Nicholas yawned. "Cool."

They reached the car. Ava sat in front. David walked to her door, saw she was there then turned for the backseat. Nicholas got in first and did his belt. Henry sat next to him. He yawned and laid his head down on the seat to look out the window.

"Hey, Henry?"

"Yeah?"

He looked at the boy. "The next time kids at school call you crazy... Just... You kind of are but... not everyone has to be sane. Makes life more interesting, y'know."

Henry laughed and put his seatbelt on. "Aw gee thanks, Nick," he said sarcastically.

But he smiled so Nicholas knew he hadn't taken it the wrong way. He thought it was odd that Henry believed so firmly in the existence of a curse when he had everything he could ever want but didn't mind talking to him about it. He found it interesting to just sit and listen to the younger boy's theories, to his plans, to his thoughts on _Operation Cobra_ and to add new ideas or a fresh perspective to his stories.

It felt like having a brother, he reflected before he fell asleep.

_**...**_

He woke up to Regina's touch. She shook him gently by the shoulders.

"David," she whispered. "David."

"Wha...?" he mumbled. He wiped at his eye.

"Switch with me?" she asked. She was leaned against the open door. "I'm feeling tired."

"Yeah." He reached to undo his belt. "Okay."

He got out the car and held the door open so that she could move into his spot. She slid down the seat and rested her head atop Henry's, whose was now on her shoulder. The boy mumbled in his sleep and turned toward her. One arm came around her middle. She moved her arm around him too and smiled at Henry. David smiled too and closed the door softly. He got into the driver's seat.

"I got you coffee," she mumbled from the back seat.

He looked down and saw two takeout cups in the cup holders. One was marked tea and had a red lipstick print. The other was marked coffee. He lifted his and took a gulp, hoping the caffeine would wake him up.

Ava sat in the passenger seat next to him, quiet as usual. She was reading. The book had an odd black crocodile skin cover, the words, "The Curse of Ursula" shone in silver above the author's name, "J. D. Archer."

"Any good?" he asked. She nodded absently, clearly not listening to him.

He wondered briefly what it would be like to have a girl. He looked at the one next to him and tried to guess what she might be thinking about. Regina told him she saw a lot of herself in Ava. He tried, but couldn't. He didn't really know much about her childhood. They hadn't delved into that topic. Only a short-off answer of both her parents being dead when he'd asked about it. Perhaps that was what she saw. A closed book? Or simply coincidental mannerisms?

David started thinking of Ava and Nicholas, of their father. Emma said he was in a coma but had failed to mention whether or not she informed the twins of this.

"Ava," she tilted her head toward him, eyes still on the page, but nodded so that he knew she was listening. "Did Emma tell you about your dad?"

Blonde brows furrowed. She put her finger down on the page she had been reading and looked at him. He saw it then, the resemblance.

"Yeah, he's in a coma," she said slowly. "Why?"

"Huh," he said to himself. "Well, I guess... I was just wondering why you haven't asked about him? Or to visit him?"

"Oh." She looked in front of her. She closed the book. "I hadn't really thought about... doing that. I mean... What's the point," she said slowly, carefully. "He won't know."

"Aren't you curious?"

She shrugged. "I guess but... I dunno." She looked forward, extremely bothered.

"It's alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I was just curious. You can go back to your book," he told her, wishing he'd said nothing at all.

She was visibly upset, shaken even. She opened her book, then closed it and turned to look out the window.

_**...**_

They made it home by early evening and spent a few minutes unloading the car and carting all their stuff inside. Henry had taken it upon himself to sort the movies and pack them away in the rec room while Nicholas and Ava unpacked their new clothing and decorated their rooms.

Nicholas' followed a superhero theme of mainly Wolverine and the X-men. He had a giant poster of the original comic book design of the team up on one of the walls. And a comic book shelf like Henry's filled with his new comics and some old ones he'd collected with his savings. He had his four new action figures on display next to two older ones his mother had gotten him before she died. He had a few novels as well, mostly sciemce fiction, although he confessed to never having actually finished them.

His door had a simple red 'N' on it now. Henry got an 'H' in a medieval print like those in really old storybooks - the ones where the letter looks like a picture - and Ava got the calligraphy letter 'A' in gold.

David didn't know how long the twins would be there. But it was looking long-term. He couldn't think of sending them away, felt horrible for pushing Emma to do it in the first place. And neither could Regina. It was one of the things they'd discussed and agreed on before the trip. No matter how long they were here, it would be their home.

David reflected on all this as he walked to Ava's room. He knocked. There were small flowers and vines made of the golden swirls of the letter on the door.

"C'min."

He opened the door. She was busy moving her clothes from the bags onto hangers inside her small walk-in closet. Her shoes were already packed. Twelve pairs lined the two shelves next to the hanging space.

Her desk was already set up with a stationary holder and an old silver lamp that must have been gathering dust somewhere in the house. It looked vintage and was a nice contrast to the white desk.

There were a few pot plants on the window sill, and a throw blanket over the window seat. There was a stack of about a dozen books on the floor nearby, old ones with hard leather covers of black, brown and blue.

The room looked like it was taking shape. He was impressed by all the progress she'd made by herself.

"You need any help?" David offered. He wanted to make up for earlier, for upsetting her. But she only smiled and said, "No thanks."

Now done with her clothes, Ava moved on to her jewelry. She carefully lifted rings onto branches of a strange tree-design wired object. Once the tree's limbs were decorated she went into her en suite.

David noticed a plant in a semi-spherical glass bowl with a chain attached to it. He lifted it off the bed and looked at it. He wondered what on earth it was. It was about as big as his head and the chain was almost as long as his arm.

Ava walked out of the bathroom and looked at him. He lifted the object questioningly. "It has to be hung," she said.

"Oh. Where were you thinking of putting it?"

"Um..." she looked around. "By the window. I'm turning it into a reading space."

David looked at the chain and tested if it could hold the weight of the plant. Then pulled the wooden chair by the door over and stood on it to hang the plant, double-checking that it wouldn't fall. He set it up. Now on the ground, he looked up at it.

"How are you going to water it?"

She laughed but didn't answer. David shook his head and moved the plants around on the window sill around so that, when the sunlight streamed in, the plants would each get an equal share of it.

He stepped back and looked at her reading space. It looked like a cozy area. Light green plants, white wall, dark wooden window frame, and a soft purple throw. Her bedding was purple too, a dark rippled pattern with black pillowcases.

She began transferring her school books from her old faded red bag to a new black one. It was simple with gold zippers. Ava opened her desk draw and got out another vintage, a globe model and adjusted it to sit neatly on the desk.

He noticed a few sketchbooks and wondered if she, like Henry, also enjoyed drawing. David heard his footsteps on the stairs.

"Dad! Ava! Food's ready!"

_**...**_

"Mom?"

She stopped at the door and turned back. "Yes, sweetheart?" she asked. She sounded tired. Her hand was on her stomach again.

Henry pushed down his jealousy and fiddled with his blankets. Emma's words kept playing in his head.

_"I had a family until I was three then they had their own kid and they sent me back."_

"I'm sorry."

She came closer and sat on his bed, confused. "For what?"

Henry looked down again and spoke to his bedding. "For calling you evil and saying... all that mean stuff. For running away. For pushing you away. I never... I didn't think that you could be cursed too. I thought you were lying to me. And that... that you didn't love me. That the only reason you adopted me was so that Emma would come to town and you could kill her before she broke your curse."

"Henry-"

"I'm sorry, Mom." He hugged her, put his arms around her again and ignored the bump between them. She didn't hug him back and Henry's entire body filled with the fear that this might be it, that this was the final straw, that he was too late with his apology. She pulled away after a moment. Henry fought to keep his tears from falling. This was it. He was too late. He wiped away the tear that fell.

"Sweetheart," she sighed. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you thought was right. That's all anyone can expect you to." Henry looked up. Her smile was tight. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

"Mom-"

"Get some sleep." She kissed his forehead again. "Goodnight Henry."

He nodded then lied back down, curled into his blankets with his back to the door. "Night Mom."


	11. Chapter 11

"Henry apologized," David observed. She startled.

He'd stopped by Henry's door to say goodnight when he heard the last bit of their conversation. His delusions were still concerning but, at least he was making progress. At least he saw the error in his past actions. At least he was trying to make up for it.

"Yeah," she said softly, still looking at his sleeping from through the small opening of the door.

"Come on." He set his hand on the small of her back and guided her down the passage to their bedroom. Then shut the door. He turned to her and saw she was looking at him thoughtfully.

"He doesn't see me as the Evil Queen anymore."

He walked to her. She sounded almost disbelieving. He frowned.

"Well, you're not," he said firmly. She met his eyes, hers startled, then they turned sad and she looked away. He wanted to say more, to comfort her. But knew it wouldn't do anything. "I'm glad things are good between you two again," he said instead.

She smiled and nodded. "Me too."

"And us," he tried.

She looked up quickly. Then her face softened and she took his hand. "And us."

His smile was relieved. He stepped into her and hugged her, one hand on her back the other around her shoulders. She sighed and relaxed into him, both arms tight around his lower back.

"I was going to take a shower," she murmured against his shoulder. Her tone was carefully detached, but slightly hesitant. "Do you want to join me?"

He smiled against the side of her head, kissed her hair with a chuckle. "Yeah."

_**...**_

_"I see the allure."_

David shot up in bed. A thin layer of sweat covered his skin.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked, startled. She rolled over to face him, her hand settling on his thigh. "Bad dream?"

"Yes." The dream was already fading, like water through his fingertips. "I was... in a prison. A dungeon... I-"

"A dungeon?" She sat up slowly. Pulled the blankets up to cover her chest. He nodded, still breathing heavily. "Hey." She held his chin and tilted his face to look at her. Then let go and kissed his shoulder. "It was only a dream, David," she soothed.

He shook his head. "It didn't feel like a dream, Regina. It felt... It felt like a memory."

The air around him became hot and suffocating. He pushed the covers away and got out of bed. He reached for his robe.

"I need some air," he said at her concerned look.

"David, please. Come back to bed." He sat on the edge of the bed to lace his shoes. "David." She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "Your head is burning."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I think you have a fever."

The bedroom spun around him. David sat through the dizziness. His hands clutched at the bed. Her concerned voice swam around his head but the words never fully formed. His head was suddenly against something soft and cool. He realised he was laying down.

"David?"

Her face was above his, worried.

"I'm fine," he tried to reassure her. But his voice was soft, drowsy. "I'm f..."

_**...**_

The floor creaked under her foot. Ava winced and closed her door behind her quietly. She walked quickly to her brother's room. She cracked his door open and peaked at his form before going inside.

She shook his shoulder. "Nicholas," she whispered. He swatted her away and rolled over. "I know you're awake."

He sighed and turned to face her. "What, Ava?"

"I..." He sat up and looked at her expectantly. "I think we should," she blurted.

"Should what?" he asked carefully.

"Go see Dad."

He looked surprised. She was nervous about asking him, had tried to all through the night but couldn't work up the courage.

"Okay," he said simply. Then tried to lay down again. Her next question stopped him.

"Do you think they'll send us to live with him if he wakes up?"

He looked at her, face pinched in frustration and annoyance. "I don't know, Ava," he said in exasperation. He laid down again. "Probably not."

"But-"

"Just stop worrying and let me sleep."

He rolled over onto his side, his back to her. Ava went back to her room.

_**...**_

Emma clipped her badge on and grabbed her blue leather jacket. She looked at her roommate.

"It's 7:15," she said. Mary-Margaret looked up questioningly. "Don't you usually leave this time?"

"No," she said quickly. "Well, yes, but I only have to be at school at 7:45 this morning."

Emma raised her brows. She was unconvinced but left it there when no further explanation was offered.

She turned to leave. "Okay. See ya."

_**...**_

"Hey, kid," Emma smiled.

She ruffled his hair as he walked out the door. He had a new haircut. Nicholas came out after him, his hair cut in a similar style. They both wore their school uniform, light brown pants, black shoes, white shirts with the blue school cardigan. Nicholas' uniform looked newer, she noted.

"Hey, Nicholas."

He smiled. "Hey, Em."

She hadn't expected to walk all of them when she came to fetch Henry yesterday morning. But had supposed she should have. It was a bit of a cut back from her time with Henry, but they'd settled into a good routine and it was Tuesday so she got to pick up Henry from his session and walk him home. She was looking forward to the time she got to spend with him, just the two of them.

"Where's Ava?"

"Probably applying lipstick," Nicholas said.

Emma laughed at his expression. But she understood where he was coming from. She had gaped the first time she saw Ava after the trip.

Ava walked out then.

She did not look like the kid Emma remembered. Her hair was straight for one. And loose under a black knitted beanie. Her eyes looked greener. She now wore her shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Her skirt was new and Emma had not failed to notice, shorter than the other one. She had on black baby doll lace-ups. She wasn't wearing any lipstick, Emma noted in relief.

She somehow assumed Regina wouldn't even have a problem if she did. Said woman appeared behind the door, opening it wider.

"Ava." She held a book out to her. "You forgot this inside."

"Oh." She took it. "Thanks Regina."

"Does everyone have their lunches? Henry? Nicholas? Ava?"

"Yes," they all groaned at the same time.

"Mom, you asked that like fifty times already."

"I'm just checking," she said. Then bent to hug him. "Goodbye Henry. Nick," she said to him. He nodded and walked down the path with Henry, chatting excitedly. Ava turned to Regina and hugged her.

"Goodbye, Ava."

"Bye, Regina."

Ava pulled back, then walked past Emma to catch up with her brother and Henry. Emma looked at Regina for a moment. She was not exactly glowing, but something looked different. Like she was somehow both lighter and more troubled.

"Deputy?"

"Uh..."

"Emma!" Henry called. "You coming?"

"Yeah," she called back. She spoke to Regina, "I was just... Nevermind." She turned around and began walking.

_**...**_

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked warily. She came to an uncertain stop in the kitchen. He was bent forward, forearms on the counter, head low. It snapped up at her voice.

"Fine," he lied.

She came to stand next to him and touched his back. "David-"

"Was that Emma?" he asked, head turned to look at her. She nodded. "So the kids are gone?" She nodded again. He lowered his head onto the counter and groaned. "Okay."

"David-"

"I'm gonna go take a shower," he said. He tried to walk past her. She blocked him.

"Wait. Tell me what's wrong. Are you feeling dizzy? Nauseas?"

"No, I'm-" She gave him a look. He sighed. "I feel like shit, Regina."

"Then, maybe you should stay home," she suggested. She rubbed his arm. "I could take the day off. Stay with you?"

"No." He shook his head. "That's okay. I just want a shower." He spoke before she could, saying, "I think it'll help. Clear my head, make me feel... better."

"Okay." She smiled. "I'll wait for you."

_**...**_

Ruby placed two cups of coffee down on the counter. "Coffee - one cream and two sugar. Hot chocolate - no sugar," she said to David.

He handed her the money. "Thank you."

Mary-Margaret looked up from her page for a second. She tried to be subtle when her eyes followed him out the diner to his cruiser. Regina got out the car and met him at his door. He handed her the cup Mary-Margaret assumed held the hot chocolate.

He was looking a little worse for wear, she saw. Regina touched his face, spoke, then pulled him into a hug, one hand on his back, the other holding her takeout cup near their legs. Mary-Margaret saw her mouth move. David nodded against her shoulder. Her face was sympathetic when she pulled back.

Mary-Margaret looked away quickly when she kissed his forehead. Her face burned.

"7:45 huh?" Emma took a seat across from her.

"I was just-"

She smiled sadly, "I get it."

Mary-Margaret sighed. "Lately, he's been coming here every morning at 7:45 A.M. to get coffee."

"For him and his wife."

"I know, I know, I know. I just like to... come here to see him."

Emma raised her eyebrows. "So, you're a stalker?"

"No," she answered quickly. "Not really," she mumbled. Emma gave her a pointed look. "Maybe a little bit. But, Emma it's not like I'm following him. I just know that he spends his mornings at home, gets coffee, then it's off to the station and he's usually home by five."

Emma looked amused. "Oh, is that all?"

"He takes some mornings off," she blurted, unable to help herself. Mary-Margaret became embarrassed. She could feel her cheeks turning pink. "I dunno... I just- I..."

Emma shrugged. "You like him," she said simply. Mary-Margaret nodded, ashamed. "But he's married," she stressed. "And his wife is pregnant _and_ the Mayor. And you two already... almost... you know..."

Mary-Margaret ducked her head. "I know."

Emma reached across the table and took her hand. "Just don't do anything stupid."

_**...**_

"Madame Mayor, your husband's here," Jane's voice came through the intercom.

Regina frowned and looked at her watch. It was too early for their daily lunch visits. She checked her schedule. She was free for the next fifteen minutes.

"Send him in."

She set her glasses down and stood, something that was becoming increasingly difficult as the weeks went on, as she got closer to her due date. Her doors opened and he shuffled in. He looked haunted. The Curse's hold was probably weakening on him, if last night's dream was anything to go by.

She stopped in front of him, but he didn't seem to notice her. "David?" she said uncertainly.

He looked as if he didn't recognize her, as if he didn't know where he was. It was the same look she saw in his eyes at the hospital the morning after she saved him, the confusion of a blank mind.

Worriedly, Regina led him to the couch and poured him a glass of water. His hands shook when he reached for it. "Here," she helped him drink it, her hands over his as she guided the glass to his lips, then back down to the table once it was empty.

"Regina?" He recognized her then and looked around in bewilderment. "How did I get here?"

Her brows furrowed. "You just got here," she said slowly. "You don't remember?"

He shook his head. "The only thing I remember is... is..." His gaze snapped to hers. His expression changed into one she'd never seen before, one she couldn't decipher. He cleared his throat. He shook his head and stood. "I'm sorry for barging in without letting you know. I know you're busy."

"David-"

"I'll see you later."

"Hey," she grabbed his hand. "Wait. What's going on?"

He looked at their hands then her stomach. He swallowed. Regina's blood went cold. That wasn't possible. He... No. There was no way. He couldn't _remember_. Could he?

"David-"

"I'm sorry." He kissed her temple. "There's something I have to do."

_**...**_

"Ms..." he trailed off. "Mary-Margaret." Her name felt strange on his tongue. He'd never actually said it out loud before. "Can I talk to you?"

"If this is about the other night, David, you don't have to apologize. I-"

"It's not," he said quickly. "Please, can... Can we just talk?"

She sighed and looked up from the scripts she was marking. "Are you... Are you okay?" She stood to face him.

"I think we," he started. "I think we know each other."

Mary-Margaret smiled at him, a curious tilt to her head. "Of course we do."

"No no no. Not from here. Not from Storybrooke."

"From where then?"

David took a moment, hesitating then thinking. He wasn't sure what to make of this. She'd think he was mad. He thought he was mad.

"Another life."

"Another life," she repeated, amused.

David nodded. "How long have we known each other?"

"I..." She thought about it for a few seconds. "I don't know. A while."

"And do you remember when we met?"

She took a moment to consider it. "No."

"Have..." He took a breath then let it out shakily. "Have we ever been together?"

"...No."

It was then that he noticed how close he was to her, then that he felt her breath against his chin, that their eyes _found_ each others. He suddenly saw her, pale and beautiful in a glass coffin. Her long dark hair and red lips. He saw himself leaning over her still body and kissing her.

He kissed her.

_**...**_

Doctor Archie Hopper got up from his seat and went to the insistent knocking on his office door. It looked like he wouldn't be finishing his lunch, he thought with a sigh. He opened it.

"Deputy Nolan," he said, surprised. "What can I do for you?"

He looked panicked, his hair and eyes wild. "Doctor Hopper, I need your help."

Archie stepped aside and let him in. "Okay, what... What is it?"

David sat down on the couch. He was jittery and nervous. His hands shook and picked at his clothes.

"I've been having these... these flashes," he said. "And... moments where... Where I... Like the blackouts when I woke up from my coma." The doctor nodded. "I... I need to remember what happened during the blackouts and make sense of the flashes."

_**...**_

Regina looked up at the knock on her door. Kathryn opened it and stepped in hesitantly.

"Kathryn," Regina said in relief. "I feel the beginnings of a migraine." She rubbed at her temples. "What..."

"Hey," she said with a cringe. She walked toward her desk. There was a manilla envelope in her hands. She looked like she'd rather be anywhere else in the world than here.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked, noticing her friend's wary approach. She put the envelope down. "What is this?"

"It's..." She looked up, her eyes pleading and sympathetic. "Photos. It was just sent in. From the Daily Mirror."

Regina's brows furrowed. She opened the envelope. A4 pictures spilt out. Pictures of David. Of Mary-Margaret. Of the two of them together. In a cabin. He wrapped a quilt around her shoulders

_"And then I got stuck in a cabin in the woods, waiting out the rain."_

At The Rabbit Hole, walking drunk down the street, too close to be friendly. The last few were in her classroom, they were kissing. His hand was on her face. His brilliantly blue eyes were smiling. She was smiling.

Regina dropped the photos as if burnt and looked up at Kathryn.

"The Daily Mirror?" she asked, eyes wide. "Sidney?"

"Probably." Kathryn shrugged. "I guess he wanted to warn you. It's going to be in tomorrow's paper." She sat down in one of the seats opposite her. "Regina, I am so sorry. David's an idiot-"

"Kat," Regina cut her off softly. "I need a moment." She touched her stomach. "Alone." The boy kicked again, as if reaching for her. Regina looked down with a small sad smile. She noticed Kathryn was still there. "Please?"

"Okay." She nodded and got up. She stopped by the door, one hand on the handle. "I'm really sorry, Regina," she said again.

Regina sat for a few minutes. She didn't want to accept what she'd just seen. It would explain last night, his dream, why his memories were returning.

They'd found each other. Snow White and Prince Charming had finally found their way back to each other. As predicted. And now her curse would break.

She looked down at her rounded belly and touched it softly. She just hoped they would spare him. That they would spare her son from any harm. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him. Then looked at the last photo again. They were in her classroom. Her index finger nail tapped on it. David was wearing red flannel and the school teacher a dress of white and cream. Red flannel. This photo was taken today.

The Queen felt the familiar lacing of rage and hate, as tight and suffocating as a corset.

_**...**_

She pushed past some guy carrying a net of soccer balls.

"What the- Regina?"

She realised it was Frederick and threw a quick, "Sorry," over her shoulder.

Mary-Margaret noticed her. Her eyes became wide. "Regina!"

The Queen shook her head. This was not happening again. Not another one, not while she still had a chance.

"What-"

Regina smacked her across the face. The slap was loud in the now silent hall. It sent a thrill through her, the burn on her palm traveled up her arm to her smile, made it dangerous and victorious. She noticed people looking at her but couldn't find it in herself to care.

Her voice was venomous. "How dare you-"

Mary-Margaret cut her off, speaking lowly. "I understand that you're upset and you have every right to be, but-"

"Thank you for that," Regina said sarcastically.

Mary-Margaret looked around, hand on her cheek. "Can we- Can we please talk somewhere private?"

"Private?" Regina laughed, her voice dark and low. "No," she straightened. "In fact, I have nothing to say to you. Actions speak louder than words, Ms. Blanchard. And I believe I've just made my point."

_**...**_

"David! David!"

Shocked, David opened his eyes. "What happened?"

"I had to wake you up. You went too deep into hypnosis. Something was disturbing you. What did you see?"

"It's true," he whispered. He looked out the window at the clock tower. "It's all real," he said to himself.

"David?" Archie asked in concern. "What happened? What did you see?"

"It was..."

Archie looked at him expectantly. "What? Tell me, David. I can help you."

David shot off the couch and grabbed his jacket. Archie stopped him by the door. "David. David, tell me. What did you see? I can help you."

"No," David said sadly to the conscience, "you can't."

"David!" Archie yelled after him as he left the room.

_**...**_

"Regina?" Ava asked hesitantly.

She was sitting with Nick and Henry at the table in the living room, doing homework. Emma had dropped them off about twenty minutes ago.

Regina glanced up. "Yes?"

She set her pen down. "Nicholas and I were wondering... if we could visit our father tonight?" Regina paused and turned to her. "And if you could drop us off at the hospital after you take Henry for his session?" Ava fidgeted in her seat. "Please?" she added after a moment.

They all looked at her now, all three of their faces a mix of hope, nervousness and apprehension.

"Sure," she smiled. She set her unease aside and went back to the fax Kathryn had sent her.

_**...**_

"Did you publicly assault Mary-Margaret?"

Regina looked up from her filing cabinet. "Did you sleep with her?" she challenged.

"No."

Her eyes narrowed. Fire and outrage burned in them. She went to her desk and lifted a folder. She brought it to him. David took it wordlessly and opened it. His eyes widened in shock. He looked up at her quickly. Under her anger he saw hurt. He was right, she couldn't remember.

"Regina-"

She pushed past him and walked out of the room.

"I want you gone. By tonight."

"Regina, wait." He tried to grab her arm. She stepped away from him and went to the mirror, pretended to fix her hair. "I didn't sleep with her! I'd never-"

She looked at him through the mirror and laughed. Her voice dropped, low and velvety, dark. Like it had been in the Enchanted Forest.

"You are indeed a most _charming_ liar."

David lunged at her. His one hand wrapped around her neck. He shoved her into the wall.

"David!"

"You know," he accused. "You _know_."

Regina's eyes widened. "W-what?"


	12. Chapter 12

"Did you publicly assault Mary-Margaret?"

Regina looked up from her filing cabinet. "Did you sleep with her?" she challenged.

"No."

Her eyes narrowed. Fire and outrage burned in them. She went to her desk and lifted a folder. She brought it to him. David took it wordlessly and opened it. His eyes widened in shock. He looked up at her quickly. Under her anger he saw hurt. He was right, she couldn't remember.

"Regina-"

She pushed past him and walked out of the room.

"I want you gone. By tonight."

"Regina, wait." He tried to grab her arm. She stepped away from him and went to the mirror, pretended to fix her hair. "I didn't sleep with her! I'd never-"

She looked at him through the mirror and laughed. Her voice dropped, low and velvety, dark. Like it had been in the Enchanted Forest.

"You are indeed a most _charming_ liar."

David lunged at her. His one hand wrapped around her neck. He shoved her into the wall.

"David!"

"You know," he accused. "You _know_."

Regina's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"You knew! This whole time! You knew?" His furious tone turned to hurt. "About the Curse?" She looked shocked. "Answer me!"

There was a noise from outside. Simultaneously, they looked to the sound.

"Wait!" Henry said. "I forgot something in your car." Then they heard his footsteps on the walkway.

Emma laughed, "Okay."

The front door opened. She walked in thenstopped dead in her tracks.

David felt Regina swallow against his palm and immediately let go. He stepped back, shocked at himself. She moved away from the wall, glancing at Emma.

Regina cleared her throat. She turned to him, arms crossed over her chest, and brows raised expectantly.

"You were heading to the station," she said, voice clipped.

_**...**_

Emma stared wide-eyed at Regina from the doorway after David left. "Oh my God! Are... Are you-"

Henry appeared behind her then, holding a big blue teddy bear. He ran inside and hugged Regina.

"Hi, Mom."

Her body language and expression changed so quickly Emma thought she had imagined the scene she walked in on.

Regina smiled and bent to his level. "Hello, sweetheart. How was your session?"

"It was good. Emma and I went to the arcade again. Look what I won," he lifted the bear excitedly. She made an "ooh" sound. Her smile faltered when she looked up.

"Deputy Swan," Regina said, snapping Emma out of her horrified stupor, "you can leave now. Thank you for dropping Henry off."

"Yeah... sure. Bye kid."

"Bye Emma." And then he turned to Regina again. "Where's Ava and Nick?"

"Still at the hospital," she answered. "They should be home soon."

Emma turned for the door.

"Where's Dad going?" she heard Henry ask.

"Actually, you know what," Emma turned around quickly. "I think I'm gonna stick around for a bit," she told the Mayor. "Hey, kid," she said to Henry before Regina could say anything. "Why don't you go upstairs for a bit so your mom and I can talk."

Henry looked between the two of them, confused. "Okay."

He grabbed his bear and slung his backpack over one shoulder. Once Henry was upstairs Regina turned on her.

"Ms. Swan-"

"Are you okay?"

She looked taken aback, speechless even. It passed quickly. Then she nodded.

_**...**_

Regina laughed. Emma looked at her like she was insane. She laughed harder.

"Oh, Ms. Swan..." She shook her head. "That's not what that was."

"You sure? 'Cause what I saw was-"

"Quite a concerning scene, I'm certain," Regina smiled. "But believe me when I say that's the furthest thing from it." Her expression turned dark and bitter. "All things considered, I'd say that was a fairly normal reaction." She took a sip of her water.

That gave Emma pause. "To what?" She shook her head. Her expression changed back to careful and pensive amusement. Regina sized her up. "What," Emma asked, "did you tell him the baby isn't his?"

Regina laughed again. She shook her head and took another sip. "Do you intend to stay for dinner, Ms. Swan?" she asked, her head tilted curiously.

"Um... Sure." Emma blinked. "I'm gonna go... check on Henry."

_**...**_

"Kid," Emma said hesitantly.

Henry looked up, confused at being cut off mid-story. "Yeah?"

"When you said... That your mom was evil and that she didn't love you-"

"I know, I know, I was wrong. And it was unfair of me to say that just because I found out I was adopted and started believing in stories from a book," he finished with a slight eye roll, a hint of exasperation in his tone, like this was a lecture he'd heard too often.

"Yeah..." Emma trailed off, not sure how to phrase her next question. "Well, was... was there anything you left out?"

Henry looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well... like... Do your parents ever fight?"

Henry's face scrunched up. "Oh, you mean like argue." He thought for a moment. "Yeah. A lot actually. But it's pretty funny." He laughed. "Like the other morning, Dad's coffee split-"

"No, I mean like... has he ever... hurt," Emma cringed, "her?"

Henry was even more confused. "No. Why would he do that? He's a hero! He's Prince Charming. And they're married. And he's still Cursed."

He wanted to say more but Emma wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Her brows were furrowed and she was thinking deeply. Henry sighed and closed his sketchbook.

"Henry," Regina called from downstairs. He and Emma went down to see what she wanted.

"Deputy Swan, Henry and I have an errand to run. Could you stay here and wait for the twins?" Emma was about to speak. "We won't be long," Regina cut in. "Dinner's almost ready. If we're not back by then feel free to eat without us." Then she looked at Henry. "Come on, grab your coat."

_**...**_

"Should we tell Emma that you're in on Operation Cobra? 'Cause she still thinks you're the bad guy."

"No," Regina said immediately. "It's safer this way. Heroes and villains don't work well together. Different set of rules to follow."

Henry looked out the window when the car stopped. "I guess you're right." They were in the graveyard. "Why are we visiting grandpa? It's not Wednesday."

"I wanted to show you something," she said simply. She undid her seatbelt and got out the car.

Henry stood by the car. She walked forward, expecting him to follow. "What?" he asked, slightly scared.

She continued walking, eyes forward. "My vault."

Henry's eyes widened. "Cool!" He ran to catch up.

_**...**_

"Don't touch anything," she warned. "Unless you'd like to spend the rest of your childhood as an amphibian."

Henry laughed. He stopped, frozen, and looked at her. "Are those... hearts?"

Regina paused, looked at her collection then back to her son. "Yes." Henry looked horrified. She smiled sadly and crouched in front of him. "After the curse breaks, you and I are going to return them to who they belong. Okay?" He nodded, still scared. "You're probably too young for this," she sighed. "But I don't know how long we have together until the Curse breaks. And this is vital to your mission." She stood and retrieved a box from the wall. "This one is Graham's."

Henry touched the box hesitantly then pulled his hand back. "And we're gonna use it for _Operation Cobra Undercover_?"

Regina smiled at the new name and nodded. "True love's kiss will break any curse," she said, almost to herself. "But without his heart-"

"Graham can't fully love Emma," Henry finished. He looked at her, excited now. "We need to get this back to him!"

He reached for the box again. She pulled it back. "Not yet."

Henry was confused. "Why not?"

"Because it won't work unless the Saviour believes and the Huntsman remembers."

"So the next phase of _Operation Cobra Undercover_ is getting Emma to believe. 'Cause Graham kinda already does."

"What?" she exclaimed.

Henry scuffed his shoe against the ground. "He came around a while ago. He was having flashes and I helped him figure out who he was."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. "He could have hurt you." Henry looked confused. Regina sighed. "I have a great many enemies, Henry. Most of whom would have no qualms with hurting you to get to me. I need you to be careful. Don't trust anyone but me. Aside from Emma," she added. "And your father," she amended a moment later. His eyes were wide. "Promise me you'll tell me if something like this happens again."

"I promise."

She held his chin and looked between his eyes. She relaxed when she saw only honesty. "Good boy."

He smiled. Then frowned. "What are we gonna do after the Curse breaks? Everyone's gonna remember... that you're- That you were the... The Evil Queen," he whispered the last part. "They might try to hurt y-"

"Let me worry about that," she cut him off. "Your job," she said firmly, "is getting Emma to believe."

_**...**_

"Mom," Henry said cautiously. "Can I ask you something?" She hummed in affirmation. "Why are you helping me now?"

She opened her mouth then closed it. Her brows furrowed. Henry watched her as she thought. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel. She made a left.

"Well, Henry... Like you said, it's the right thing to do."

He frowned at her purposely vague answer.

_**...**_

"Woah, slow down kid. Food's not going anywhere."

"Sorry," Nicholas said, mouth full. "Iss juss soooo good."

Ava rolled her eyes and twisted another forkful of spaghetti on her plate before bringing it daintily to her lips. The front door opened. Emma could hear Regina and Henry talking. He sounded lively and cheerful. Emma's brows furrowed. She had assumed Regina had taken him out for a serious talk about what happened. Apparently that was not the case.

They'd been gone for almost an hour. And Ava and Nicholas had arrived about ten minutes ago, providing Emma with an escape from her boredom. She'd wandered from room to room earlier, had looked at the photos on the walls, the book collections and almost broke a few strange display objects.

"You made spaghetti?" Henry exclaimed. "Yum." He ran for the kitchen.

Emma slurped down a piece of spaghetti. Ava cringed at the sound. Nicholas laughed at her expression. Henry came into the room a few moments later, carefully carrying his plate.

_**...**_

Regina had just helped Henry dish his serving when she heard the front door open. She went to see who it was.

"David."

_**...**_

"There's soccer tryouts tomorrow at school," Nicholas told Henry. "Are you gonna go?"

"No." Henry laughed. "I suck at sports."

"Aw, come on, that can't be true." Nicholas took a bite of his meatball. "Have you ever played?"

Henry shook his head. "Huh-uh."

"What?" he exclaimed. He looked at Ava.

She shrugged. "He's never played. And you've never finished a book. It's not that hard to believe."

He rolled his eyes. "Well we have to fix that," he said simply. "I can teach you." Henry smiled and nodded eagerly before he slurped up another piece of spaghetti.

"Henry," Ava cringed. Nicholas copied him. "Nicholas." She made a face. They both laughed and slurped down more spaghetti, exaggerating the sound, much to Ava's annoyance. "You guys are gross."

Nicholas turned back to Henry. "So tryouts... Are you gonna be there?"

Henry thought about it. "Maybe."

"Cool," Nicholas said.

Emma was barely paying them any mind, too absorbed in her plate. "God this is so good," she said, after eating a rather large forkful, mouth still full.

Henry saw Ava's eyes narrow at her. "Must be genetic," he heard her say under her breath. Henry chuckled.

Henry got up. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

_**...**_

Henry stopped outside their door. It was parted. He was scared. He'd never heard them fight like this before. Their voices dropped. Henry couldn't make out what they were saying. Their voices became harsh whispers. He caught the 'E' word.

"I'm taking Henry with me."

"Over my dead body."

"Well, if that's what it ta-"

He stopped abruptly. Henry saw part of his form, the left side of his body through you opening. David gulped. He looked like he was going to say something.

"He stays here," Regina said through clenched teeth.

"Regina-"

Something flew across the room and shattered against the wall. Henry nearly jumped out of his skin. He yelped in fear, taking a step back.

Her voice was scary now. "Get out of my home, _Charming_."

Henry fled down the staircase. His heart beat rapidly in his ears. He stopped at the bottom and looked up. His dad remembered. He remembered.

"Kid," Emma asked, suddenly next to him. He jumped. "Woah," she laughed. "You want dessert?"

_**...**_

Nicholas looked at Ava. She caught his eye. He nodded to the front door. She mouthed, "I saw," to him.

David had just left, a suitcase in hand. Henry had been somber, quiet and brooding ever since he came back downstairs. And Regina and Emma were _still_ in the kitchen. He didn't know they could survive _that_ long in each other's company.

Nicholas pushed his dessert around in his bowl. He'd tried his luck and asked for ice-cream - which Emma had given uncertainly. Then the Mills' had come downstairs and the entire evening had gone downhill.

"Where's David going?" Ava asked eventually. Henry looked up. His expression was blank. "Well... Is he coming back?"

Henry glared at her. "No."

"They're splitting?"

"Nicholas!" Ava whisper-scolded him. "That's insensitive."

"Sorry," he mumbled. He ate a spoonful of the chocolate ice-cream. It was already melted. He pushed his bowl away.

_**...**_

"Kathryn," Regina said into her phone. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Regina," she exclaimed in relief. "No no," she answered. "What happened? I've been trying to reach since this afternoon. Is everything okay?"

"Yes." She slipped into business mode. "Do you remember that project we were working on?"

"The playhouse?"

"Yes."

"Yeah. Why?"

"How far are we with it?"

"Oh!" There was a scuffling sound on the other end. "Well it kinda got put on hold with the whole 'Emma Swan' crises. I can take it out of archive and put it back in the works," she offered.

Regina a pinched the bridge of her nose. "So no progress then?"

"No. But we had all the plans ready. It'll take about two days to get the contracts drawn up for construction. Then there's the actual work on it. And that should take about... a couple of weeks?" A few seconds passed. "Why?"

"Would two weeks be enough time?"

A pause. "I guess..."

"Good. I want the papers on my desk first thing tomorrow."

"Okay," she said, confusion evident in her tone.

Regina hung up before she could voice her questions.


	13. Chapter 13

"Are you and Dad getting a divorce?" Henry asked that morning.

The knife fumbled in her grasp. The harsh monotonous thuds on the cutting board came to a stop. She was cutting apple slices.

"I... Yes," Regina answered curtly. She started cutting again. The thuds were slower this time.

"Oh."

Henry looked back at his bowl and tried to shake away his sadness.

Prince Charming was supposed to be with Snow White.

They were each other's true loves.

They were supposed to be together.

They were supposed to be together, Henry repeated in his mind. They were supposed to be together. She was Snow White and he was Prince Charming. They were each other's true loves.

The Evil Queen was their enemy.

They were supposed to be together.

Ava touched his arm - Henry startled - and gave him a sympathetic smile. She got off her chair, rinsed out her bowl and went to Regina's side.

"Regina, do you want some help?"

"Sure." She nodded and gave Ava the knife, moving away from the board.

Henry watched as his mom walked around the kitchen. She looked the same as every other day, like nothing was wrong. She had on a dark blue pantsuit with gold buttons and a cream blouse that made the bump look smaller.

Henry couldn't tell if she was sad or not. He expected her to be. But she wasn't. Maybe he was just being dumb. She wasn't evil anymore. She didn't need to stay married to David because she didn't hate Snow White anymore. Maybe that's why she wasn't sad. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe this was her being good.

She went to the fridge and got out three juice boxes and some cheese sticks. Then she went to the snack cupboard and took out three bags of pretzels.

"Should I still call him Dad?"

She stopped and looked at him. "Henry," she sighed. "Sweetheart," she sounded embarrassed, "can we please not have this conversation now?"

Henry looked down. He swished around the soggy cheerios in his bowl. "Okay," he mumbled.

Nicholas slurped up the milk in his bowl. He was already finished with his cereal but Henry had barely touched his.

"I'm gonna... go get... dressed," Nicholas said awkwardly. He hopped off his chair. Henry followed him out the kitchen without a word.

_**...**_

"Ava, Nicholas," Regina said to the two of them. "Henry and I have a tradition on Wednesdays. We visit my father. He died a few years ago."

"Oh." Ava said. "I'm sorry, Regina."

"Thank you, dear," she said softly. "I'm telling you this because we'll be going straight after school. And I don't want either of you to feel-"

"It's okay," Ava said quickly. "We get it."

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Nicholas said. He practically ran out of the living room. "Emma!" he announced happily, a note of relief in his voice.

"Hey kid."

Regina hugged Henry. He held her for a moment longer when she let go. She sighed and knelt in front of him. She smoothed out the collar of his dark blue coat and smiled at him. "Goodbye, sweetheart. I'll see you after school."

"Bye," he mumbled.

Ava waited until Henry left the room - even his aura was miserable - before she hugged Regina. Ava rested her head on her shoulder and wrapped her arms around the older woman's middle in an attempt at comfort. Regina froze. A few seconds passed before she took a deep breath and relaxed into the hug.

"I think Nathan's a good idea," she said against her shoulder. Regina let go and looked at her curiously. "As a name," Ava explained. "For the baby."

"Oh."

Regina hugged her again. Then she pulled back and looked at her. She touched Ava's hair - twin dutch braids this morning - and seemed to want to say something. She shook her head and gave her a bright smile. "Good luck with your math test."

"Thanks," Ava said, as she slung her bag onto her shoulder with a good-natured smile.

"Are you going to the library after school again?" Ava stopped and looked at her, nodding. Regina smirked. "Home by five. And bring Alex in this time."

Ava's cheeks burnt. She ducked her head. "Okay." She wiped her fringe away from her eyes. "Bye Regina."

_**...**_

Regina closed her eyes after they all left, taking a moment to herself in the kitchen. She leaned against the island top, her head in her hands and eyes closed. Everything was such a mess.

_You knew this would happen_, she scolded herself. _You should never have gotten involved in the first place. You knew this would happen._

"This is what I get for listening to you," she said to her heart.

_Foolish girl_, she heard her mother say. _Love is weakness._

Regina groaned and pushed away from the counter. Ten years. Ten years she'd gone without that voice inside her head. Ten years. And it had been great. Beyond great actually. She had a normal life.

The potion didn't just make her forget her past, it allowed her to be the person she wanted to be. The person before Rumplestiltskin and Cora. Before Snow White and the King. Before the palace and magic. Before heartbreak and insanity. Before the darkness.

And now that she got a taste of what life could be like, she wanted it more and more. She wanted to be that person again. She wanted to go back to how things were. But she was slipping up more and more. The Queen was raging inside her, trying to get free. Like last night with David-

She slammed her hands down on the counter in front of her. "Stop," Regina said to herself.

She couldn't keep thinking like this. She needed to move on. She knew this would happen. Now she had to deal with it. To find the next step and go from there.

She and David were over. He remembered. He hated her. He went back to Snow. And it hurt. It hurt like hell. But she couldn't let it consume her. She still had Henry. And Ava. And Nicholas.

He kicked. She smiled and touched her rounded stomach. And the baby, she added fondly.

Regina noticed Henry's lunchbox on the counter and shook her head. She smiled in spite of everything. Henry. She still had Henry, as hard as it was to believe, her son was still here. He was still with her.

She jumped when her phone beeped in her pocket. It was a message from Jane, reminding her about a meeting this afternoon. She sighed. She had rescheduled this one three times already.

Henry was going to be disappointed, she thought sadly. He'd asked last night if she could give him a tour of her vault.

_**...**_

Henry walked up to his mother after Ms. Blanchard walked away. They looked... awkward, his teacher... scared? Even though his mom was being polite. Well, sort of. She looked out of place in the school quad.

"Hey Mom," he said, confused. "What are you doing here?"

She cleared her throat and looked at him. "You forgot your lunchbox. Again."

She offered it to him. Henry took his lunchbox with a sheepish smile. "Thanks."

Regina smiled and touched his hair. "Where's Ava and Nicholas?" Henry shrugged. "Okay, well, Emma will be picking you up today."

"Wha... but I thought..." He leaned forward and whispered, "I thought we were gonna go to your vault again and-"

"I know. I'm sorry," she said. She led him to a bench. They sat down. "There's something I have to do, sweetie. Work stuff."

He looked down. "Oh."

"You can still work with Emma though," she said quickly. "Try to get her to believe. Read through some more stories."

"Okay." The bell rang. "Bye Mom," he hugged her.

She smiled. "I'll see you at home. What do you think, tacos for dinner?" He thought about it then nodded. "Okay," she smiled. "Go. You don't want to be late to class." She bent to kiss the crown of his head. "I love you, Henry."

"Love you too," he yelled over his shoulder as he ran to class.

_**...**_

Kathryn walked into the Mayor's Office. She dropped the paperwork onto the desk with a thud and grinned when the other woman looked up and glared at her.

"We had the contracts drawn up already," she said proudly. "And I just spoke to Dylan. He said his crew can have it up in a week."

"Really?" Regina asked, amazed. "That quick?"

"Yeah." Kathryn nodded and pulled up a seat. "He liked the design. And figured his boys would too." Regina smiled and looked back down, back to the document in front of her. "What happened last night?" Regina looked up. "David's staying at Granny's," the blonde elaborated. She looked shocked. "It's a small town, Regina. Word travels fast."

"Right." Regina looked back down in front her, features schooled and tone curt. "I told him to leave. He left."

"And?" Kathryn pushed.

"There's nothing more to it."

"Regina," Kathryn said in exasperation. "He's your husband. You've have been married for over eight years. There's a lot more to it than that. Plus, you always do this," she waved a hand in front of her desk.

She put her pen down sharply. "Do what?"

"This!" Kathryn exclaimed. "Whenever something goes wrong, you bury yourself in city contracts and town problems." She looked away, jaw crossed. Kathryn sighed and reached across the table to take the brunette's hand. "It's not healthy, Regina. Especially not with the baby. I'm your friend. You _can_ talk to me."

Her eyes narrowed. She took her hand back. "If I wanted to talk I would have booked a session with Archie."

"Well then maybe you should do that," Kathryn muttered, leaning back in her seat. Regina's head snapped up at that. She winced and lifted her palms in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm leaving."

_**...**_

Emma had tried to cheer Henry up by offering to take him for lunch at Granny's. He'd sullenly went along with it. It was just the two of them. Nicholas had hurried along for soccer tryouts and Ava had wanted to go to the library.

"Hey, kid," Emma said as she slid into the booth next to him. "What are you reading?" she asked curiously. Then leaned forward to take a look.

"The Daily Mirror," he mumbled.

Emma frowned. "Why are you reading the newspaper..." She saw. "Oh."

He put the folded paper down. "Yeah."

"Okay." She scooped it up and crumbled it into a giant ball. "Let's just ignore this. And get our news from something more reliable. Like the Internet." Henry stared at her blankly. "Oh, kid," Emma sighed. She hugged him. "Please tell me you're not scarred for life."

"No." He shook his head. "They're supposed to be together. It was gonna happen when the Curse broke anyway."

"Yeah," Emma played along. "But it still can't be easy. Seeing your parents-"

"I don't wanna talk about that. That's what I'm in therapy for, remember?" he said bitterly.

Emma touched his shoulder, frowning. "Kid-"

"I'm hungry. I want food."

"Yeah, I know. I just ordered-"

"Do you have a quarter?" he asked suddenly.

Emma fumbled in her pocket and found one. "Yeah. Why?"

"The jukebox."

He gestured for her to move so he could get out of the booth. Emma did. She watched at he walked to the box. He stood there for a few seconds then inserted the coin and pressed a button.

Emma smiled at the song. "Great song choice," she said when he sat down on the other side of the table to face her.

He shrugged. "It's Mom's favourite." He looked around. "Can we go to my castle after lunch?"

Ruby set their drinks in front of them. "Your grilled cheese'll be out soon."

"Thanks Rubes."

"Emma?" Henry said, slightly irritated, after Ruby had left.

She hummed and looked at him. She had just taken a sip of her strawberry milkshake.

"Can we go to my castle after lunch?" he repeated.

Oh. Emma swallowed. "Why?"

"We need to figure out how to break the curse." Henry twisted the straw around in his milkshake. "And the answer has to be something in that book."

"Okay," Emma agreed, dragging out the 'a' sound.

_**...**_

"What's up with frowny-face over there?"

Emma sighed. "He's upset."

"About his parents?" Ruby asked. Emma nodded. "Wasn't he always going on and on about how they weren't supposed to be together?"

"Yeah..." Emma looked down and shook her head. "I don't think he actually expected them to split-"

"Wait! They're actually separating?" Ruby exclaimed. "They're not going to patch things up? Go for counselling or something? Pick up the pieces? Or try to... They're just giving up!"

Emma's brows furrowed. "Erh... yeah. Well, I... I think so."

Her eyes were wide. "Wow."

She tilted her head to the side. "Why do you look like you're having a harder time processing this than the kid?"

"No, it's just..." Ruby shook her head. "They've always been... Like perfect... For each other. They were always... Plus the baby and-" She stopped and looked up. "Did he leave? Oh, my god! He left his pregnant wife with the kids. After _he_ cheated?" She shook her head. "He left the Mayor for some mousy schoolteacher?" She looked at Emma quickly. "Sorry! She's your roommate and- Oh my god! Did you know? Was he ever there? Did they-"

"Ruby, Ruby, calm down. Geez. You're more upset than Henry." She spoke before the waitress could. "And no. I had no knowledge of their affair-"

"Affair! How long..."

Emma groaned and put her hands into her hair

_**...**_

Emma giggled. She turned her back to Henry. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he responded, voice low and sexy, in _that_ accent. She hummed a laugh then bit her lip to keep her smile from growing too wide.

"No no no!" Henry screamed.

"Something wrong?" he asked on the other end.

That killed the mood. Emma turned to Henry. "Graham, let me call you back," she hung up.

"Henry?" She went to him. He dug around frantically in the sand near his castle. "Woah, kid. What's wrong?"

"My book!" he yelled. "It's gone!" He turned to her, furious. "Who did you tell about it?

"What? Kid-" He got up and ran past her. Emma caught up to him and grabbed his arm. "Kid! I'm sorry about your book." He tried to break out of her grasp. "But come on," she said quickly, "let's look some more. It's gotta be here."

"It's not!" he yelled in frustration. He pushed away from her. "It's gone." His eyes teared up and voice broke. "It's gone," he whispered.

He started to cry.

_What do I do? _Emma panicked. She bent in front of him worriedly. "It's okay," she soothed and tried to pull the him into a hug. He sobbed against her. "It's okay. It's okay, Henry," she said, trying to comfort him. "I know things are hard right now. But it will get better. I promise." He cried harder. "Your parents-"

He pushed away from her again. "It's not about that," he said angrily. He wiped at his eyes furiously. "It's the book. I just want my book." He started tearing up again. "I just want my book," he said softly. He looked down. His tears fell.

"Okay, okay," Emma said quickly. "Okay. Well let's keep looking. It has to be here." She offered him her hand. He shook his head. Emma looked at him helplessly.

"Kid..."

He looked up, hazel eyes filled with tears then crashed into her. Sobs wracked his small form. She didn't know what else to do, so she held him.

_**...**_

"No, it's a red metal box with a grey padlock," Emma said into her phone. "Yeah, he's really upset about it," she told Mary-Margaret. "I dunno maybe some kid found it and took it, digging for treasure in the sand or something." Emma stopped and gaped at the door of the loft.

"Emma?" Her roommate asked on the phone.

"It's here."

"What's there?"

"The box!" Emma cautiously kicked it open. "And the book's inside it." She picked it up and unlocked the door to the loft.

"What? Where are you?"

"Home."

Emma looked set the box onto the table and closed the front door. She heard the rev of a motorcycle engine outside and went to the window. She watched the silhouette of a man on his bike shrink as he rode away.

"Mary-Margaret," she said into her phone, "that new guy in town... that introduced himself to us at Granny's the other day... He rode a bike, right?"

"Yeah," her friend said cautiously. "Why?"

"What was his name?"


	14. Chapter 14

How could she do this? he thought again. How could she do this? He felt like breaking something. "You're kicking me out of my own house?" he'd asked incredulously during their argument.

"Yours?" she laughed. "This is my home-"

"No," he cut her off, "for last decade it's been _ours_."

David unpacked his suitcase furiously. He yanked the draw open and shoved his clothes inside then slammed it closed.

Granny's.

He hated being here. It reminded him of when he woke up from his coma. He was broke and penniless, had to literally survive on what he had in his pocket - which hadn't been much. No, it hadn't been much at all.

Earlier he'd debated on whether or not to call Frederick and crash with him and Kat. Then he remembered that Kathryn - his former fiancé, Abigail - was better friends with his wife than he was with her husband.

Wait, did he just refer to Regina as his wife?

The thought stopped him in place. Confusion turned to anger. She did this! She made such a mess of their lives, of his feelings. And for what? To get back at Snow? She married him as revenge! How could she do this?

He wished he had alcohol.

The Curse gave Abigail a better life, he thought suddenly. She finally got to be with her knight. They were married here and happily so. They finally got their happily ever after.

Was that her intention? To give a select few a better life?

He thought of Snow. She was Mary-Margaret here. A meek school teacher with financial problems and bad dates. She was so pathetic compared to Re- compared to Snow, so docile and passive, so easy to walk over. He felt repulsed that that was the way Regina designed her to be.

And Emma...

Yes, he definitely needed alcohol.

She suffered. Her whole life she had suffered. She believed her parents didn't want her, that he'd abandoned her on the side of the road as a baby. When Henry first told him that, he'd felt a surge of sympathy toward her but now all he felt was rage.

It was _her_ fault!

His daughter had been alone her whole life! He had missed her whole life! She was all grown up now. He missed twenty-eight years of her life! Twenty-eight! Twenty-eight? His daughter was two years older than her mother and three years younger than him. He groaned.

What would she think when the curse broke, when she found out that he was her father? He'd been nothing short of an asshole with her this entire time. He'd been rude and insulting and condescending.

He scoffed at himself.

Happily ever after...

The Evil Queen cast the Dark Curse to give a few people their happily ever after. That was David Nolan's naive notions. But Charming knew better. Regina was nothing more than a sick being who casted a curse out of a twisted sense of revenge. She married him for the same reason. He was sickened by the very idea.

He decided he needed a walk and headed out of Granny's B&B.

When he turned the corner, it hit him like a shock of cold water. She was pregnant. He stopped. She's pregnant, he thought again.

His first thought was of Snow and how he'd betrayed her. He hoped that she she would forgive him, that she would understand. She would, he realised. Of course she would. He started walking again. She was Snow White. And her heart was as pure as her name. She was his true love. She knew him better than anyone.

His next thought was again that Regina was pregnant. Eight months pregnant. And he attacked her. David stopped. He swallowed uneasily. He pushed his eight month pregnant wife up against the wall. By her throat.

_"David!"_

He started taking deep breaths. He was repulsed by himself. How could he do that? David tried to remind himself that she _was_ the Evil Queen and that she had done far worse. That she tried to kill him.

That didn't calm him. He tried to kill her too. Had come close to it a few times. God, what if they'd gotten it right? What if he'd killed her all those years ago? She was carrying his child. And he... He... He remembered how her eyes had widened. He remembered the beat of her pulse beneath his palm. He saw red and just acted on it. He thanked God for Emma waking in when she did. He couldn't bear the thought of what he might have done if she hadn't. He might have-

_Might have what?_ David scoffed at himself. This was Regina. She would never have given him the chance, he thought, almost proudly.

The honk of a car horn snapped him out of it. He blamed the slight affection he felt for her on them being married. Married. _Married._ He was married to her.

He still couldn't wrap his head around it. His first conclusion had been that she was cursed too. It wasn't that hard to believe. There was no way someone could fake it _that_ well. Or for that many years.

He'd calmed himself at that thought, that there was no way she could remember. Then he'd faced the dilemma of their vows. He'd struggled with himself on what to do. David Nolan was still in love with her. But he was Prince Charming. And Snow White was his true love. He _had_ to go back to her. He had to. So he planned to go home as per normal, then to talk to her, persuade her that the Curse was real and end things between them calmly. He planned to explain that he needed to go back to Snow. But would still, at all costs, be there for her. David loved her. And Charming - with his newfound knowledge of her - had... reconsidered his opinion on her. He... He liked her. And if she hadn't remembered this all would have gone that much smoother, that much easier.

He laughed out loud at how naive he had been.

Of course she knew. She casted the bloody curse! Why wouldn't she?

This was the Evil Queen. The woman who slaughtered villages, who ripped out hearts and had her step-daughter chased from her kingdom and poisoned with a sleeping curse because she thought she was prettier than her.

Untrue, was his first thought.

Charming scolded himself for even thinking that and hated his cursed personality for defending her.

It was true but...

The woman was insane!

She married him to get back at his wife.

He put aside his hurt to ponder why.

Why would she do that? What could have possibly caused such hatred? What led her to cast the Curse?

He decided to ask Snow once the curse broke. Once the curse broke...

What would happen then?

They would all probably go back to the Enchanted Forest, he assumed.

But what would happen then? What would happen to Henry? To... To his son?

She'd fight for them, he knew that.

She had already won this time, had threatened to have him arrested if he came near her or Henry again. A low blow, they both knew, but her case was stronger than his. His own daughter could attest to the claim of physical abuse she threatened him with.

He groaned and decided he really did need that drink. He decided on The Rabbit Hole and pulled phone out of his pocket. He contemplated calling Mary-Margaret. He needed to see her. He needed to see Snow. Maybe he could wake her up with true love's kiss, get her to remember him. No, that wouldn't work. In the Enchanted Forest he had to make her fall in love with him to wake her from the forgetting potion.

He looked at her name on the screen. His finger hovered over the call icon.

David looked up at the sign above The Rabbit Hole. He put his phone back in pocket and walked back to Granny's. If he drank now, he'd do something he'd regret later.

_**...**_

"And above all else," The Evil Queen hissed, "with _every_ ounce of my being, I regret that I was not able to kill... Snow White!"

Prince Charming stood angrily from his throne. "Arrows!" he demanded.

He watched as his knights loaded their bows. Almost laughed when the Queen was blindfolded, at the swallow she did, at the slight fear she showed. She shouldn't have been allowed such a mercy. She should have been forced to watch the arrows leave their bows, or admit her cowardice and close her eyes before the court. She should have been begging to live. She should have been begging them to spare her. Instead she listed her final regret as not having killed his betrothed. _How dare she?_

"Take your aim!"

The soldiers pointed their arrows at the Queen. He felt a thrill run through him at the thought of holding her life in his hands. Of being so completely and utterly in control. It would taking nothing more than a signal to stop them, to make them lower their bows. Or to kill her. He could end her life with a single word. And he would.

"Fire."

Then it all changed. Snow didn't yell out for them to stop. The Blue Fairy didn't use her magic to prevent the arrows from harming her. And she wasn't the Evil Queen anymore. She was the Mayor. She was Regina. And he was David again. It all changed within a second. But the arrows had already been fired.

"No!"

He leapt forward. The first arrow pierced into her heart. She screamed. Her shoulder slammed back from the force.

"Regina!"

He dropped to his knees as the stake she was tied to vanished. Her body fell limp to the ground. He made it to her, lifted her still body into his arms.

"No no no no," he cried desperately. "Regina..." He turned her face to his. Her eyes were closing. "No," he begged. "No."

Her eyes focused on him. "David," she whispered. She touched his face. Her hand was cold and trembling. "I'm sorry." He looked down and saw her white shirt was drenched with blood.

"Daddy?"

His head snapped to the voice, to a small blonde girl with green calculating eyes.

"Emma?"

David bolted up in bed, his skin drenched and stomach turning. The cries of an infant rung in his ears. He pushed himself out of bed and rushed into the bathroom just in time to hurl his guts into the toilet bowl.

_**...**_

Mary-Margaret touched her cheek again. For the umpteenth time that day, she thought of how Regina had smacked her across the face yesterday. She remembered the pain and humiliation, the cruel victory in Regina's smirk, and how Mary-Margaret knew - she just _knew_ \- she'd gotten a kick out of it. With a cringe, she recalled how she called David and actually _cried_ to him about it. She hadn't meant to, but at the sound of his voice, so soft and caring, it all spilled out of her mouth before she could stop it.

And then the paper had come out and her humiliation had increased tenfold. They made her out to be some town harlot in the article. There were two pictures of _the slap_ included, some horrible groggy shot of Regina's raised hand then one after with her hand on Mary-Margaret's cheek.

Said paper was now in Emma's hands. She put it down on the table in front of them. "Wanna explain this?" she asked softly.

Head bowed, Mary-Margaret mumbled out an equally soft, "No," as she stared at the grainy photos.

"Okay." Emma was quiet for a moment then picked up the paper again. She laughed. "How bad was it?" Mary-Margaret looked up questioningly. "Getting slapped by Regina."

Mary-Margaret gave her a "you've-got-to-be-kidding-me" face. Emma laughed again.

"Sorry, but it's kinda funny." Her smile went away. "Kinda like you had someone tell you not to do something then you went and did it anyway."

Mary-Margaret looked down again. She slowly brought her hand away from her cheek.

Emma shrugged. "Whatevs." She picked up their teacups and went to the sink to rinse them out. "How'd it go by the way? The thing with David?"

Mary-Margaret didn't really want to tell Emma. She couldn't deal with her criticism and judgement. He showed up at her class after the paper came out. He was so apologetic and sweet and had convinced her to meet him at the Toll Bridge. And she had. Earlier this evening while Emma had taken Henry to his castle.

Emma sat down again, across from her at the table and looked at her expectantly.

"He wants to be together," Mary-Margaret blurted.

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"He left her," Mary-Margaret rushed. "Said they're over. He said he wants to be with me-"

"Woah, woah, slow down," she exclaimed. Her face scrunched up. "And I'm pretty sure she kicked him out."

"Does it matter? They're not getting back together. They're over. And he said-"

"He wants to be with you," Emma finished, tone bored. "Yeah, I heard you the first time." Emma looked up and looked Mary-Margaret dead in the eye, her expression the most serious she had ever seen it. "Mary-Margaret, are you actually going to do this?"

That gave her pause. "I- I think so."

_**...**_

Ava, Henry and Nicholas were waiting outside the mayoral mansion for Emma.

Ava glanced at her watch. _She's late_, she thought impatiently. She looked up at the sound of a motor and noticed a man on a bike outside the gates. Henry and Nicholas were with him. Ava shut her book quickly and walked up to them.

"What are you doing here?" Henry asked.

"Fixing my bike," the stranger answered.

"No, I mean in Storybrooke."

"Just visiting."

Ava noticed a large case on the back of the motorcycle. "What's that?" she asked.

"A box."

"What's inside it?" Nicholas spoke up.

"Just something I need to do what I came here for."

"I thought you were just visiting," Ava asked, brow raised.

He turned to her, amused. His smile was almost condescending. "Doesn't mean I don't have something to do."

Ava noticed a flash of yellow before Emma's bug came into view. The stranger looked at it.

"Better get to school. Looks like you're gonna be late."

Then he started his engine and rode off. He was gone by the time Emma made it out of her car.

_**...**_

"Henry?" Emma asked worriedly as she walked up to them. "Who was that?"

Henry shrugged. Nicholas looked behind her excitedly. "We're taking the bug today?"

Emma looked at him. Then to the bug. "Yeah?"

"Cool!"

Ava rolled her eyes. "You're late by the way," she said before she got into the car.

This one has definitely been spending way too much time with Regina, Emma thought. Speaking of.

"Kid," Emma said to Henry, "Where's your mom?"

He shrugged, still despondent. "Inside," Ava answered. She was looking out the car window. "She overslept."

_**...**_

David stopped by the door to the entrance to the diner. _She_ was there. Right front of him. Literally two steps away.

"Excuse me," she said politely.

She walked past him like he was nothing more than a stranger she saw around town. _Was she really planning on avoiding me?_ he thought disbelievingly with a hint of anger. He grabbed her hand.

"Regina-"

He looked down quickly. He felt his chest constrict when he noticed _it_ was gone.

"Let go," she said warningly, voice low.

He dropped her left hand as if burnt and watched as she crossed the street to get into her car. She didn't look back, didn't spare him another glance. It hurt. He looked down at his own hand, at his own ring. He touched it. He thought about removing it. But couldn't. Tears burnt at the back of his eyes when he tried to. He swallowed. He was so confused and hurt and... Why did she just leave? Why didn't she look back? Why didn't she care?

David took a deep breath and walked into the diner. He sullenly ordered his coffee - one cream, two sugar.


	15. Chapter 15

Regina woke slowly, had to force her eyes open. She tried to sit up. Then gave up. Out of instinct she looked to her left. Oh. Right. Empty. With a sigh she turned to her right and looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 02:17. She frowned and hit the box. It was broken. After twenty-eight years the town clock suddenly starts working and hers breaks. Regina scoffed and lifted her watch, hoping that its time was correct. 07:32. She was late!

She pushed the covers aside in panic and swung her legs over the bed. A wave of dizziness came over her. She gripped the mattress and breathed through it. Once it passed, she noticed blood. Blood on her pajama pants, blood on her mattress, on the covers.

Spine tense, she turned and pulled the covers back slowly. She was panicking, praying, hoping to every god in every realm that this was not happening. That she was dreaming, that this was not real.

"Please, no," she whispered.

The blood was minimal, she saw. She tried to calm herself. It was only spots. It was minimal. Hands shaking, she touched her womb. No movement. She pressed harder with both hands.

"No," she whispered. "Please no." Her voice hitched and turned into a sob. "No." not her son. Please, gods not her son. Please. "Baby," she begged. Her vision blurred with tears as she looked at her middle. "Please, please, please..." Her hand came to her mouth.

She sobbed in relief when she felt him move. "Thank you," she breathed in relief.

Shakily, she picked up her phone and dialed Nurse Gretchen. Regina didn't recognize her voice. It sounded so human, so scared and fragile, so... so... so broken. Her tongue caught on words and she nearly broke down into tears several times. She wiped a hand over her eyes and swallowed over that lump in her burning throat.

"Is this normal?" she asked.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before the nurse responded with a hesitant, "No." Regina held her hand over her mouth. Silent tears ran down her face. "Regina," the other woman said softly, "is the baby moving?"

"Yes," she answered, lips quivering.

"Good, good," the nurse breathed, relief evident in her voice. "You need to come into the hospital."

Regina nodded, then realised she couldn't see her and said, "Yes. I'll be right there."

He moved again, as if assuring her he was fine. Regina pressed both hands to her stomach, her tears now made of relief instead of fear. She got up and ripped the sheets and blankets off her bed. She showered quickly and dressed even quicker, had just finished buttoning her blouse when her door opened. It was Ava. She stopped by the door, fully dressed in her school uniform, her bag slung over one shoulder and hair loose. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

Her eyes were wide and worried. "Are you okay?"

Regina nodded, then caught a glance of herself in the mirror and sighed. Her skin was pale, eyes and nose red. She looked like she'd been crying for days on end. Ava scanned the room, her eyes flicked over the bed then the pile of sheets and blankets. Regina followed her sight and found her stomach turning at the blood. There was a lot more than she managed to convince herself of earlier.

Ava walked forward quickly and hugged her. Regina nearly sobbed again. She held her tightly, rested her head on her shoulder and forced her tears back. She would not cry on a child. She would accept a hug. But would not cry.

She pulled back after too many minutes and slipped back into mom-mode. "Are the boys done?" she asked.

Ava sensed the change and went with it. "Yes," she nodded. "They're waiting outside for Emma."

"Okay," Regina nodded. Her voice was still not as strong as it usually was. She cleared her throat then grabbed her phone and walked downstairs, Ava behind her. "The lunches," she remembered. "Have you all eaten?" she asked quickly, when they approached the kitchen, panicking at the thought of nothing being ready.

"We're fine. Everything's done," Ava soothed.

She set her bag down nudged Regina toward the island seat. She pushed the plate from the center of the island in front of her. It was pancakes with pieces of banana on top.

Ava handed her a fork and said, "Eat."

Regina's brow quirked upward at the girl's authoritive tone. Ava stared back, undeterred. With a sigh, she took the fork and began eating.

Ava leaned against the counter and watched her. When Regina was finished, she took the plate wordlessly and went to the sink to rinse it off before she placed it in the dishwasher.

"Thank you," Regina said uncomfortably.

"No problem. We can cook, y'know," she joked. "Nicholas and I." She turned around. "Are you sure you're okay?" Ava was looking at her like she was afraid she would break.

"Ava," she sighed. She gestured her closer. "You don't need to worry about me." She looked like she was about to argue. Regina took her hands and looked into her concerned green eyes. "I'm sorry about scaring you. You shouldn't have seen that."

"But I did." She looked almost grown-up then, too mature for her age. "And I am worried about you, Regina."

"Ava..."

Regina sighed again. Was this the Curse's doing or Gretel's personality shining through? She was more bold in the Enchanted Forest. But there was still that innocence to her, that youthfulness that seemed to have disappeared here. What exactly had the Curse done to them?

_I did._ Such a simple response. And such a good damn point.

Regina took a breath and shook her head. Then answered her question. "No," she admitted. "I'm not alright. I need to go to the hospital. I..." she looked at Ava desperately. "I know this might be asking too much, but... can you... I don't want Henry to..."

"Yeah." Ava caught on and nodded quickly. "I'll keep them outside." She was about to move away then hesitated. She was still holding her hands, then squeezed and let go before she slung her bag over her shoulders.

"Regina?"

"Mhm?" she looked up.

"It's... Everything's gonna be okay. With the baby. He's going to be fine."

She gave her a tight smile and nodded. Ava left the kitchen. The front door opened. Then closed. Regina put her head in her hands. "God, I hope so," she whispered.

_**...**_

"Kid," Emma called Henry, "Where's your mom?"

He shrugged, still despondent.

"Inside," Ava answered quickly, looking out the window. "She overslept." She eas relived when the blonde didn't press and instead got into the car.

_**...**_

The school bell rang just as they pulled up. The kids rushed out of the door. Emma got out of the car too.

"Kid. Hold on one sec," she called.

He turned around with a huff. "I'm gonna be late."

She approached him. "I know. I just have something I'd like to give you."

She took the book out from behind her back. His face lit up. "You found it!" he exclaimed, taking it from her offered hands. "Where'd you get it?"

"It was at the loft last night. Literally on the doorstep." Henry gave her a strange look. "I know. Maybe someone took it by accident and returned it to my place because they know I'm Deputy," she suggested with a shrug.

"That doesn't make any sense."

She blinked at his dismissal. "I know. But what other reason could there be?"

Henry flicked through the book. "I don't know. None of the pages seem to be missing. Aside from the ones I gave you." He looked up. "Speaking of. Can I get them back?"

Emma was thrown. "Yeah. Just... let me look around for it first."

"You lost them?" he exclaimed, angry.

"No!" she said quickly. "I j-just... misplaced them."

"But-"

"Mr. Mills," a teacher called sternly behind him. Henry turned around and ran toward the school. Ava and Nicholas were waiting for him by the door.

_**...**_

Regina put her phone into her purse. She didn't look up until she noticed someone stop in front of her. It was David.

She had just come from the hospital. It was nothing serious. The baby was fine, just as Ava predicted. It was just some spotting - which wasn't normal but due to the _public scandal_ her life had become, the doctors had decided to blame it on stress and Regina happily went along with that diagnosis, glad for nothing else being wrong.

"Excuse me," she said cordially, hoping he'd leave it at that.

"Regina." He grabbed her hand when she tried to walk past him.

"Let go," she said warningly, voice low.

_**...**_

He looked up when she slid into the booth opposite him. "Hey Kat," David said.

"I don't know the full story and quite frankly I don't care." His polite demeanor changed at that. "But you have a responsibility toward her." He scoffed. "Or at least your son," she said pointedly, voice low. She sounded pissed. "Where were you?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked slowly, confused and irritated.

"The hospital. Earlier this morning. Where were you?"

"The hospital?" he repeated, even more confused. "Why was she... Did something happen with the baby?" He thought of earlier, of seeing her. That was about ten minutes ago. She looked fine. A bit defensive but fine. "What happened?" he asked, panicked. He got up before she could answer, running out the door to city hall.

_**...**_

"That's my son you're carrying! I think I have a right to-"

"No," she snapped. "No, you don't. You have no right to him. He's mine."

His jaw crossed. He turned on his heel and left. The door slammed closed behind him. She winced at the sound. Regina scowled at the door. But her anger was immediately replaced by regret. She wanted to go after him but pride kept her in place.

She'd slipped up again. Had reverted into the Evil Queen. It was just so much easier than dealing with him as Regina.

She shook her head, hands on her temples. She couldn't take it any more, found herself out her chair and heading for the door where she rushed out past Jane who let out a surprised yelp.

"David!" she called. He was already in the cruiser, about to pull out of the parking lot. "David."

He stopped when he saw her. She came to his window, crouched to look at him through the glass.

"I'm sorry," she forced out, the words so soft they sounded a whisper. She cleared her throat. "I shouldn't have... You do have a right to know. I... I should have called you." His eyes narrowed at her, distrustful. She swallowed. She wanted to reach out and take his hand. Was so used to comforting him, to touching him, to having him. Almost reached out to do it then stopped. "I'm sorry."

He scoffed. "And I'm sick of your games."

He started the car again. The sudden rev of the engine startled her into taking two steps back.

"When the Curse breaks you're not getting anywhere near them, _Regina_." She flinched from the vicious way he spat her name. "I'll see to that," he promised.

_**...**_

And to think she nearly called him. She scoffed at herself. She was scared at the hospital as she sat waiting for the test results from Whale.

She'd wanted to call him. Had come close to it a few times. She wanted _him_. Not Prince Charming. David. She wanted David, her husband. She wanted him to be there with her, to hold her hand, to reassure her that everything was fine, to kiss her forehead and calm her down like he always did. She was so used to leaning on him when she wasn't strong enough, when things were going horribly.

She'd wanted him but settled for Kathryn.

_"You're not getting anywhere near them."_

_Screw him. They're mine. _

She nearly called him.

She nearly called him. But fear had stopped her. Countless scenarios had run through her mind. Scenes of him laughing into the phone and hanging up, him not caring enough to come through, him caring and rushing over then threatening to take her son once he was born, him accusing her of hurting their son, him being with Snow when she called, having to hear his voice change from sweet words to anger and malice, him storming with Snow into the hospital and threatening to take her child or worse kill the Evil Queen's offspring.

And it seemed her fear was warranted. He was going to take them.

_Let him try._

She stopped. She stopped pacing. She couldn't stand where this was going. She hated where her thoughts were heading. She hated her fear. She hated her thoughts. She hated herself. She hated that she hated herself right now. She wished things were simpler, that she didn't feel like this. That she wasn't confused. That she didn't love and hate David at the same time. She felt like crying, like sobbing until she ran out of tears. She felt like summoning a demon to destroy the town, or using her magic to burn everything in existence. It was confusing and maddening and god she wanted it to end.

She wished she could let go, could move forward and get on with her life. But it was hard. It was so damn hard. She wished it was as easy for her to move on as it was for him. He went back to Snow without even batting an eye. Ten years and he just left. Ten years! Why couldn't she just... it had never been easy for her to move on, she realised. It took her almost four decades, two marriages and four kids to get over Daniel.

She couldn't go through all of that again.

She wouldn't.

She was stronger now - or at least hoped she was. She wouldn't spiral into darkness again. She wouldn't.

But it was so damn difficult to keep herself in check around him. It was a defense strategy, she knew. But it was unhealthy and made talking to him harder. Realistically, she knew she had to. He wanted Henry and... and their... and the baby. He wanted Henry and the baby. But so did she. And they'd both fight to the death until they got them. If they spoke about it, she was sure they could come to an agreement. But she could never make it to the negotiations, went straight for the threats and taunts and insults.

She thought of when Emma had first came to town, how she told David that if he pushed her she'd push back and the only one who would get hurt was Henry. That was true now too, she supposed. They were... as hard as she was finding it to fathom, they were his parents. He called her "Mom" the same way he called David "Dad." She couldn't denounce his parenthood on the basis of blood or how screwed up everything was now. It would hurt hi- It would hurt Henry.

"Jane," she said into the intercom on her desk. "Clear my day."

_**...**_

"Water synthesis-"

Regina cleared her throat. Mary-Margaret stood quickly and approached her.

"May I speak with Henry?"

"We're in the middle of a lesson," the teacher whispered. She looked over her shoulder at him quickly. "Is it important?"

"Do you think I'd be here if it wasn't?" she snapped. Regina looked behind the teacher and saw Henry looking at her curiously. She took a breath. "Yes," she said, "it is important. I'm here to collect my son." She walked away from Mary-Margaret and nodded for Henry to follow her. He closed his workbook, put it into his bag and got up.

"Homework's on pages 20-23," Mary-Margaret said to Henry as he walked off.

_**...**_

"Oh, go on. Open it!" Regina nudged.

Henry looked up from the wrapped gift to her. He looked at the box again then back at her. He sighed then opened it. She smiled at the surprise on his face.

"Now, I know you miss your book but with this, you can do the heroics," she said, tone enticing. "You can save the princesses... You can be the hero." He poked at the game. Regina sighed. "I'm really sorry about your book, Henry."

"It's not the book," he mumbled. "Emma found it and gave it back to me this morning."

"Oh." She was quiet for a moment. He started to tear up. "Hey... What is it?" she asked softly. He shook his head. "Henry..." She took his hand. "Sweetheart, talk to me."

"It's Dad," he admitted. "I... It's weird not having him around." He bowed his head and looked at the game. "I miss him."

"Oh honey..." She hugged him. He buried his head in her chest, arms tight around her middle. He sniffled and pulled back after a moment.

"Can I see him?"

She froze. His eyes were teary. She looked away from them. Then let out a shaky breath. She hated seeing him like this. And her pride wasn't worth his pain.

"Yes."

His head snapped up, a hopeful expression of "Really?" on his face. She nodded and he hugged her again. Regina wiped at her eyes with her free hand.

"Regina!"

Henry let go immediately. She looked to her name and stood when she saw Nicholas and Ava. A smile instantly appeared on her face.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Ava said through a grin, "but what are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up early," she answered before hugging Ava. She touched Nick's head. "Unless, of course, you'd like to spend the rest of the day at school."

They both shook their heads quickly. "Nope," Nick answered.

Her smile was just a bit relieved. "Great." She looked at Henry on the bench. He gave her a small smile then nodded to the game.

"Thanks Mom."

"What's that?" Nick asked. He came closer to get a look. Henry showed him. "Cool!"

"Oh!" She reached behind her, into the bag on the bench and lifted a red and black soccer ball out. "This is for you."

"Thanks," he grinned.

Regina smiled and lifted out a thick novel for Ava. "And for you."

She took the book. Her eyes lit up at the cover.

"What's the occasion?" Ava asked, playful suspicion.

"The occasion," she looked at all of them, "is I love you."

_**...**_

Regina smiled in content and she took in the warm relaxing sunlight. Henry and Nicholas were feeding the ducks - something she thought they were too old for, but their immaturity had proven otherwise. Ava was sitting with her on the picnic blanket, her nose stuck in a book as usual. Regina sat with her back to a tree and her legs curled under her. It was peaceful. She suspected Ava was only sitting close to keep an eye on her. She caught her glancing up from her page every time she readjusted herself or moved slightly.

They'd gone home after she picked them up from school, had changed clothes and packed a small picnic. Henry was wearing his blue hoodie and black jeans. Nick, a plain white t-shirt with dark grey sweatpants. Ava, an oversized ash grey sweater with a camel coloured miniskirt and a black Panama hat with a stripe of green. Regina had simply changed her pants and shoes. Light denim and black sneakers she would deny owning.

Her phone rang. Regina took it out from her pocket and frowned at the caller ID.

"I took the day off," she said as way of answering.

"I know, I know," Kathryn said apologetically. "But there's something I need to discuss with you-"

"You do realise you'll have the full burden of being Mayor in about a month, right?"

"Yes!" she huffed. "But this is important. It's about our project."

"Oh." Regina sat up straighter. "Have we made any progress yet?" she asked distractedly. She was looking for Henry and Nicholas. She found them. They were on the grass. Nick was trying to teach Henry to play soccer.

"Yes," Kathryn answered. "Dylan just called. His crew's done with construction. It's ready for public use."

"Mhmm." Henry tried a kick and missed the ball. She stifled a laugh at his expression. Ava snorted. Then she realised what Kathryn had just said and exclaimed, "Really? That's great!"

"There's just a few technicalities before we reveal it tomorrow," Kathryn sighed. "I's to dot and T's to cross. Won't take more than an hour. I promise."

"Ugh."

Ava looked at her, amused. She shook her head with a laugh and went back to her book.

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up. "Ava, I need to head to city hall." She put on her shoes and stood.

"Oh? Mayor stuff?"

"Mayor stuff," she confirmed. She scratched around in her purse. "Here. In case you guys want something." She handed her some money.

She took the money then looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you mind if we head to the arcade for bit?"

"No. Do you want me to drop you off there?"

"No." Ava put a book marker into her novel and closed it. "I think Henry deserves a few more minutes of torture with Nicholas."

Regina looked at them. Henry was clearly frustrated, his face red and sweaty while Nick looked like he was trying extremely hard not to laugh whenever Henry kicked the ball in the wrong direction.

She laughed then. "Okay." She bent to kiss Ava's head. "You're in charge."

"Yes, ma'am."

_**...**_

The door to her office opened. Regina looked up, prepared to give Jane a tongue lashing. She was furious at her for messing up the filing and creating this mess. But it was Ava.

"Hey," she smiled.

She stepped into the room. Nick and Henry were behind her. Regina looked at her watch. Her eyes widened when she realised she'd been there for over two hours now.

"I'm almost done. I promise," she said apologetically. "How was the arcade?"

"Fine," they all mumbled simultaneously.

She looked up from her laptop at that. Ava flicked her eyes toward Henry. She pushed him forward and gestured Nick to the other side of the room. He rolled his eyes and went over to the mini-fridge to grab a soda.

"Nick."

He groaned. Then put it back and turned around. "Regina," he said sweetly. "May I please have a soda?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "How many have you had already?"

"Zero."

She looked to Ava for confirmation. She nodded. "Okay."

He grinned and took one out then plopped onto the grey sofa. She shook her head and focused back on her laptop. Then remembered Henry. He was standing across from her desk now.

"Hi," he said meekly.

She set her glasses down and closed the laptop, having just finished off what she was busy with. She looked at Henry, and noticed his parlor, the red nose and puffy eyes. The dry tear tracks. He walked around the desk to her and offered her the book.

"Can you keep this?"

Confused, she took it from his small hands. "Why?" she asked, brows furrowed. "Wouldn't you rather have it with you? For Operation Cobra?"

"No," he said quickly. "I don't want to see that thing right now." Her eyes widened at his bitter words. His surprise matched hers. Henry looked down and confessed, "I don't want the Curse to be real."

She took a breath. Then let it out. She put the book on her lap and took his face in her hand. "Let's pretend it isn't. Just for today."

He gave a small smile. "I like that idea."

"Good," she smiled back.

She stood and went to her filing cabinet. She pulled open one of the empty drawers and placed the book inside. Then locked it and handed him the key. He placed it in his pocket. Then looked up with a curious expression as he rolled on the balls of his feet.

"What are we gonna do now?" he asked.

An idea struck her. "Actually..." she looked over to Ava and Nicholas. They glanced up. "I have another surprise for the three of you."

_**...**_

"Come on," Regina said.

They all looked at her curiously but followed her out the car nonetheless.

"Where are we going, Regina?" Nick asked, a slight whine in his voice.

Regina walked ahead of them through the forest. "I told you it's a surprise."

Nicholas huffed. They were quiet for the next few steps. Then Regina stopped and turned around to face them excitedly. She had a flashback to leading Hansel and Gretel to the Blind Witch's house. Regina shook the memory away and clapped her hands in front of her.

"Alright." She looked over all three of their faces. Her smile was just a bit excited. She focused on Henry. There was a spark of interest in his hazel eyes. She focused on that. "This is supposed to be revealed tomorrow," she told them. "But I think the Mayor's kids should have some perks."

She tilted her head and gestured for them to walk past her. Their faces lit up. Her smile turned into a grin.

"Cool!" Nicholas exclaimed. He ran toward the playhouse. Ava laughed under her breath, shaking her head slightly.

"It's like the one I drew," Henry said, amazed.

He turned and hugged Regina briefly then ran off after Nick. Ava stopped next to her, decidedly too old for such things, and rested her head on Regina's shoulder.

"Nice surprise," she said.

Regina smiled and tilted her head atop Ava's as they watched the boys play. Henry was smiling so she considered it a win. But not as brightly as he should have been.

_**...**_

"Oh. You."

She raised a brow. "Expecting company?" she drawled as she walked past him into the room.

"Come on in, Regina," he said sarcastically. He closed the door behind her. "Why don't you make yourself at home?"

He gestured to the chair in the corner of the room. She looked at it. Her nose wrinkled in distaste. David sighed, hands on his hips, and looked at her. She looked... different. Not happier per se but... something close to it. Sort of lighter. And casual. Jeans and sneakers, he noted. Happier. The thought made him cross his jaw.

"What are you doing here?"

She bristled at his accusatory tone. Remembering what happened this morning, he softened.

"Are you... Is everything alright... with..." His hand was outstretched, gesturing to her middle. She gave him a pointed look. He sighed. "What do you want then?" he asked, annoyed.

"Nothing." He raised a brow. She sighed. "It's Henry. He... He wants..." She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "He misses you," she said. It sounded like an accusation. "He hasn't seen or heard from you in over a week-"

"That was your doing. Not mine."

"I know!" She groaned in frustration. "But he's miserable. He misses you. And... I know it's my fault. But I... I need my son back. I want him happy again."

He took a cautious step closer, eyes narrowed. "What are you saying? Are you asking me to come back-"

"No," she said immediately, voice sharp as a whip. "No. I'm only here because he asked to see you."

He blinked. "He..." David looked away and cleared his throat. "He did?"

"Yes," she said, voice clipped and professional. "And we need to work out a custody agreement." His head snapped to her at that. He saw her swallow before she muttered, "He's your son too."

_**...**_

Regina's threat to have him arrested had meant nothing to him. He knew she'd never act on it. But he'd stayed away because Henry was his grandson. David tried to make himself believe that. He stayed away to make sense of the last decade. He hated Regina for making such a mess of their lives that his own grandson referred to him as "Dad."

David reached forward and knocked on the door. He heard Henry from inside, heard his, "I'll get it," before the door opened.

"Dad?"

He stayed away because he wasn't his father. Henry wasn't his son, he tried to tell himself. But right now, standing in front Henry, he couldn't understand why he did it. His reasoning seemed weak now, blinded by rage and anger and irrationality.

_"He's your son too."_

He smiled at the hopeful boy. At _his_ boy. Because as much as Regina was his mother, David was his father.

"Hey bud."

"Dad!" Henry exclaimed. He threw himself against him in a tight hug. "I missed you," he whispered then pulled back quickly and looked at him nervously, like he'd just messed up or something.

"I missed you too, Henry," David said.

He hugged him again. He hadn't seen his son in a week and had somehow convinced himself it was okay, that it didn't matter. Henry pulled back and beamed at him. David smiled back.

"Come on. I'm talking you out for dinner."

His face lit up. "Really?"

Regina appeared behind him. "Yes."

Henry looked at her. She handed him his coat. He took it quickly and turned to David again.

"Have him home by eight."

_**...**_

"I'm sorry about not being here for you this past week," he said as they walked through the park. He'd taken him out for dinner at Granny's - burgers and cherry pie.

Henry shook his head. "It's okay. I get it-"

"No, it's not," David cut him off gently. He knelt in front of him. "It's not okay, Henry. You're my son. And nothing, _nothing_, can ever change that."

"Not even the Curse?"

"No." David shook his head. "Not even a curse." He looked up into his son's eyes, his trusting hazel eyes. They looked like Snow's. "Me remembering doesn't change the fact that I raised you or that I love you, Henry."

He gave a small pleased smile, his eyes a bit relieved. "I love you too, Dad." His brows came together. "I can still call you that, right? After the Curse breaks? I can still call you Dad?"

"Of course," he laughed and stood up again.

"Okay," Henry grinned. He held his hand and they walked again. "Wait, then what should I call Ms. Blanchard? 'Cause I can't call her 'Grandma' if she's younger than Mom."

David was sure if he'd have drunk something he'd be coughing on his laugh about now. "I... don't know," he admitted.


	16. Chapter 16

It was Saturday - lunch hour - and Granny's was full, every table and booth filled. David's hand burnt on Mary-Margaret's back as he led her to the counter. It had been nearly two weeks since the article was published but she felt no less humiliated. The town had practically turned on her and David since his split with Regina.

Mary-Margaret spotted Henry, then his mother. She was sitting in a booth near the back of the diner. Next to her was Nicholas and opposite them sat Ava and Henry.

There was a sudden hush. The noise in the diner dimmed for a moment then started back up.

Regina looked up, her face frozen on the soft laughing expression directed at Ava. Her eyes flicked to David. Then to Mary-Margaret. There was something cruel and pitying in her eyes. Her attention went back to the table, to Ava's waving hands and animated chatter. She laughed.

Mary-Margaret looked away and noticed the subtle, and not so subtle, looks the other patrons gave her and David. She adjusted the strap on her hand bag and turned to him.

"People are looking," she whispered. "I'm just gonna go wait outside."

David pulled her closer when she tried to step away. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, a slight laugh in his voice. He turned to Ruby. "Our order ready?"

Ruby looked up from the cash register. "Yeah."

She sauntered back to the window separating the kitchen from the diner. She picked up a brown paper bag and came back with it hanging in her painted red nails. David handed her a bill. Ruby looked at it and smirked.

"Nice tip."

She pocketed the money and walked away without giving him change.

David sighed and took the takeout bag off the counter. He placed an arm around Mary-Margaret's waist as they went for the door.

_**...**_

After Ava got up to go to the bathroom, Nick's soda split all over the table.

"Oops," he exclaimed apologetically. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Regina gathered some napkins quickly and used it to wipe up the liquid on the table. "Just go get some more napkins."

"Okay," Nicholas said. He got out of the booth. "And a refill."

He grabbed his glass and went to the counter quickly. Regina rolled her eyes. Her phone beeped. She picked it up and started typing after a moment.

Henry saw that as his opportunity. He leaned forward, his voice low. "Mom."

"One moment." She tilted her head upward to show she was listening.

"I need to show you something," he whispered.

"What?"

"Shh!" he said in a hushed whisper. "This is sensitive."

Regina raised a brow and looked at him. "Sensitive?" She put her phone down. "We're at Granny's. Out in the open."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Who else knows that the book's at your office?"

She became serious. "No one. Why?"

"Because someone changed it. There's a new story in it."

"Why would someone add a new story?" she asked curiously.

"To tell us something we need to know about the Curse. Something _you_ don't already know," he said quickly, knowing that's what she would point out next.

She tilted her head to the side. "And what would that be?"

"I don't know." Henry shrugged. "Story isn't finished."

"Why would someone go through all the trouble of adding a new story and not bother finishing it?" she asked, more to herself that to him.

Henry opened his book on the table in front of them. "That's what's weird," he said. "The story's about Pinocchio. Everyone knows how that ends."

She tapped on the picture of Geppetto and a young boy absently. "Well, maybe that's why it was left out," she offered.

"Or maybe," Henry dragged out the word, "maybe there's more to it."

_**...**_

Two kids ran out the diner, a blonde girl and a brunette boy. They were chasing each other. Ashley shook her head. In a few years that would her child. The thought was mildly relieving. Then she wouldn't have to carry her all day and put up with the fussyness of a newborn. She walked up the short steps into the diner.

She opened the door and nearly collided with a small body. "Sorry. Oh." She smiled. "Henry!"

"Ms. Boyd?"

She made a face as she readjusted Alexandra in her arms. "Ashley please," she said to him. "I'm not that old." She walked to the counter. Henry followed.

"Sorry," he laughed. "I didn't- I just didn't recognize you."

"Baby on the outside?"

"Yes," Regina said, surprising Ashley. She was also at the counter, paying her bill. "I suppose that must be it." She looked at Ruby briefly. "Keep the change."

"Madame Mayor!"

Regina chuckled. "Ms. Boyd. You look... tired. How are things?" she asked pleasantly.

Ashley was taken aback. "It's uh... horrible," she blurted the first word that came to mind. Regina raised a brow. "I mean, baby's great," she said quickly. "But it's... It's like _all_ she does is cry."

She nodded understandingly. "Henry was the same."

"Hey!" he said indignantly.

Ashley laughed at her eye roll and Henry's pout. Regina touched his head with a smile. Then looked at her again.

"Motherhood."

"Motherhood," Ashley agreed. She gratefully took a cup of coffee from Ruby. Alexandra fussed in her arms.

"And there's the little one," Regina cooed. She leaned forward to look at her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. Her look was reminiscent and longing. With something like wonder in her smile. "She's pretty," she complimented. She touched her hand.

"Thank you," Ashley smiled.

"Her name's Alexandra," Henry chirped from her side.

The diner door opened. "Regina!"

Ashley, Regina and Henry turned quickly. It was that same blonde girl she saw earlier. She was out of breath.

"Ava?" Regina asked. "What happened? Where's your brother?"

"Outside," she panted. The girl - Ava - tried to catch her breath. "He... He's..." she gave up and said, "Help," before she ran out the diner again.

Regina ran after her. Henry followed. Along with some curious patrons.

"Insane," Ruby muttered. Ashley turned to her, confused. "Three kids and one on the way... Insane." She looked up from the cash register. "But a great tipper."

"Did they adopt again?" Ashley asked in bewilderment.

"_They?_" Ruby raised a brow. "Didn't you hear?"

Ashley put her coffee down. "Hear what?"

"You've been in the house too long," she decided. "Take a seat. I'll fill you in."

_**...**_

Mary-Margaret was pressed up against a wall in an alleyway near Granny's. He always got like this after seeing Regina, rough and desperate.

His kisses felt like fire against her skin, his teeth sharp and tongue teasing. He relished in the hisses she let out whenever his nips became too hard, when his fingers dug too deep, when he held her too roughly. Then he'd always kiss tenderly at those spots, rub cautiously over her bruises and whisper praises into her ear.

Mary-Margaret wanted him. She _wanted_ him. But she didn't want this. She wanted the David who came to her, the one who kissed her in her classroom so passionately her world spun, whose lips were tender and sweet. Not this... this...

"Hey," a boy said far off.

They broke apart. David stepped back and wiped a hand over his mouth. Mary-Margaret straightened her clothes. There was a scuffling sound, then somebody fell. Another boy laughed. He sounded menacing.

"Ow!"

"Quiet Zimmer! Come on, get up," he threatened. She heard scuffling sounds. "This way."

"Let me go, you d-"

"Nick!" That was Regina's voice. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." She heard him get to his feet. "I'm fine."

"What happened to your nose? Did he hit you?"

"Regina, I'm fine. Really-"

"Yeah, he said he's fine," the other boy cut in, voice arrogant and nonchalant.

"You!" Regina again. "Who _the hell_ do you think you are?" Silence. "Do you know who _I_ am?" She sounded threatening. "Good. Well, you better hope to God I don't find out who you are." There was a stumbling sound. "Go." Mary-Margaret heard hard footsteps.

"Hey, my ball," Nicholas called.

She saw the boy, seventh or eighth grade, comically throw a black and red soccer ball over his shoulder. It rolled into the alley. Mary-Margaret quickly went to pick it up to hand it back to him. Her eyes widened when Regina walked in instead.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, eyes on the boy as he practically ran away.

Then she looked in front of her. Mary-Margaret froze. Regina paused, brows raised in surprise, before she schooled her features and walked forward. Mary-Margaret dropped the ball into her hands without a word. Regina looked past her at David.

"Thank you," she said stiffly. Then she walked back the way she came from.

Mary-Margaret turned to David. His eyes followed after her hungrily. "David?" His attention snapped to her. Then suddenly he was on her again, kissing her again.

_**...**_

"Regina," Nick whined. He winced when she wiped his nose with the disinfectant. "Ouch!"

"Sorry," she said apologetically.

They were in the bathroom at Granny's. He was sitting on the counter by the sink and Regina stood in front of him. He had his arms crossed over his chest with a small pout. He huffed at the fuss she was making.

Regina put down the cotton swab. "Who was that boy?" she asked in concern.

"Nobod-" he groaned at her look. He dropped his head, his chin on his chest, and mumbled, "His name is Kevin. He's in high school. Ninth grade. I was friends with his younger brother, Jackson."

"Okay." Regina nodded for him to continue. "What happened?"

"Jackson's an asshole," Nick grunted. She was about to reprimand him on his language when he cringed. "Sorry," he mumbled, looking at her for a second. "Jackson was..." he took a moment to think, probably trying to find the right word, she thought. "He was mean to Henry. Really mean. So I told him off," he said simply. "And then he cried to his brother." Nick shrugged. He looked up at her then down again quickly. "No big deal," he mumbled.

"It is a big deal," she exclaimed, lifting his face to meet her eyes, her hands on both sides of his face. "Look at your nose," she said softly. He looked away, clearly embarrassed by her attention. "Nick," she said sternly, bringing his focus back to her. "That was very brave of you-"

"Regina-"

"No, let me finish." He sighed and nodded. "That was very brave. And I am so, so proud of you for standing up for Henry. Thank you." She kissed his forehead. He bit down on his smile. She let her hands drop from his face. "But you need to tell me if something like this happens again." He nodded but kept looking down. "Now, where did this happen? And when? Was it at school or-"

"Regina... can you... not make a big deal about this?" Nick looked up. "Please."

Regina looked away from his pleading brown eyes that made her give in far too easily. "Fine," she agreed after a moment.

"Thank you."

He was about to get off the counter. She stopped him. "But if he _ever _bothers you again..."

"I don't think he will," he smirked. "He looked pretty scared earlier."

They shared a laugh. She smiled and touched his face again. "Are you sure you're-"

"Yeah." He hugged her. Regina smiled against his dark brown hair, held him just a bit tighter than necessary. "Regina?" She hummed in answer. "Can we go to the new playground again?"

She let go of him with a laugh. "Yes, Nicki."

_**...**_

Mary-Margaret Blanchard walked down the street, her head low, wishing she could just disappear.

Her date with David had gone horribly.

Well, for anyone else it probably would have been a perfect ending - an afternoon of white sheets and tangled limbs. But she felt used and dirty and guilty - guilt that only intensified when she felt his gentle hands caress her arm. And his eyes... it was like he was looking for something- no, someone else. His eyes would fill with hope then, after a few moments where they flicked between hers unsurely, would settle into a resigned disappointment.

The whole thing felt like a huge mistake.

But he said he wanted to be with her.

Right?

She saw two women look up and start whispering to each other when they saw her. They darted into a shop. Mary-Margaret kept looking at them. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going until she bumped into someone.

It was Granny. "Oh, Gosh! I'm sorry! I didn't-"

"Excuse me!" the school teacher apologized immediately. "I must not have been looking-"

Granny looked up. "Oh. You."

Mary-Margaret was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she said before walking away.

Swallowing back her tears, Mary-Margaret walked home.

_**...**_

"Dad!"

He smiled. He would never tire of this excited greeting. He hugged him. "Hi Henry."

He was about to close the door then stopped. "Bye Mom," he yelled over his shoulder. David tried to take a look inside the house before the door closed but only caught a glimpse.

"So," he said, turning around to face him, "what are we gonna do tonight?"

He shrugged. "Arcade?" Henry shook his head. "Okay..." David thought. "Maybe a movie?"

He shrugged. "Okay." He stopped walking when he saw the truck. He looked just like Regina then. "Why are we taking _that_?" he asked, eyes wide.

_Sounded like her too_, David thought.

"Just 'cause, kiddo." Henry looked at him. He sighed. "There's only two cruisers and Emma and Graham are using them."

He pulled a face. "Okay," he groaned. "Hey," he turned to him excitedly. "Can we go to the camp spot?"

"The camp spot?"

Henry nodded eagerly. "Yeah. We can roast hotdogs and make s'mores. Oh! I learned a few more constellations."

He smiled. "Campfire, hotdogs, stargazing... Sounds like a great idea, bud."

_**...**_

"We had an agreement."

He took a step back at her tone. The door had just swung open and those were the first words he heard.

"We had an agreement," she said again, voice low and threatening. "Eight. You have him home by eight."

"Can I lay him down before you start yelling at me?"

She blinked in surprise. Then her eyes flicked to Henry slung over his shoulder. Jaw crossed, she stepped aside to let him through.

David walked up the stairs to Henry's bedroom and put him down. Out cold. He smiled at Henry's sleeping form, sat down and wiped some hair from his head. He missed this part of his day. He thought of the countless times he carried this sleeping little boy to his bed, read him a bedtime story, calmed him down after a nightmare, set up a nightlight...

David kissed his forehead. "Night Henry."

When he made it back downstairs he found her waiting. She was pissed. He sighed when he made it to the last step. He crossed his arms over his chest and faced her.

"We had an agreement," he said for her. "And I'm sorry I didn't stick to it." Her expression changed to surprise. "There. Happy now?"

"No," she said incredulously.

He rolled his eyes and walked for the door. She blocked him from leaving.

"No, I am most certainly not happy. It's almost ten. I was worried. Why the hell didn't you answer your phone? Or let me know that-"

"My phone died-"

She scoffed. "How convenient."

"And we lost track of time."

"Doing what?"

"We went to the camp spot."

"He wasn't even dressed for that," she exclaimed.

"He was fine," he grit out. "And I don't recall having to ask you permission to-"

"Irrelevant," she waved him off. "The point is that we agreed on eight-"

"Actually, _we_ didn't agree on anything," he snapped. He took a step toward her. "You did. You came up with the rules and times and days-"

"I proposed an arrangement to share one child between three people. I'm his mother. He lives here. He spends more time here. If you have a problem with that you should have brought it up-"

"The _arrangement_ is not fair and you know it. I barely see him! He's my son-"

She laughed, arms crossed over her chest as she shook her head in disbelief. "You didn't seem to think that last week."

He stopped, stunned then turned for the door again. She didn't try to stop him this time. He had his hand on the handle then spun around to face her. She startled, took an instinctive step backward. He crossed his arms over his chest and bit down a smirk.

"Saturdays to Mondays."

"No," she said immediately.

"Weekends."

"No."

His eyes narrowed at her. He had to force the anger from his voice. "If you're not going to-"

"He has school." She scoffed. "His uniform and books are here."

"All of which can be transported-"

"No." She spoke before he could snap at her. "Friday nights and Saturdays. But he has to be home by _eight_. Sharp."

"No. I can fetch him after school on Fridays and drop him off here on Saturdays. At... Nine. Thirty." She scowled but nodded. Pushing, he added, "And Monday evenings as well."

She blinked. "That only leaves me with Wednesday evenings."

"_He lives here. He spends more time here_. Your words not mi-"

"Fine," she snapped. Then she turned on her heel. "Show yourself out."

He bit the inside of his cheek so hard it bled as he watched her walk away. Dismissed by three words. Three words. He touched the ring, the one he couldn't remove, then, as if it were the simplest task, took it off. It was so easy, he noted. He placed it on the table by the door next to the key bowl. The thud of the metal on wood was louder than intended. She stopped, turned and looked at him. Then the ring. She scoffed and walked into the living room.

David swallowed and left. It felt like he couldn't breathe, like something was wedged between his throat and chest.


	17. Chapter 17

_**~ Seven to Eight months ago ~**_

_"Oh!" Regina collided with someone. Her basket fell out of her hands. The contents spilled onto the floor of the grocery store._

_"Sorry," the other woman exclaimed. Regina looked up. It was Kat. "Oh," she smiled, "hey Regina." She bent down to pick up her things. "I wasn't looking."_

_She scoffed, "Clearly." _

_"Hey, neither were you. The polite thing to do, Madame Mayor, would be to apologize too."_

_She snorted in amusement. "You bumped into me." She bent to sort through the mess of items on the floor and picked up a candy bar. "This yours?"_

_Kathryn took it with exaggerated gratitude. "Yeah, thanks. Can't survive without these." They shared a small laugh. Then she lifted a white box and Regina forgot how to breathe. "Oh, this must..." she froze. She looked up quickly. "Oh my God! Congratulations!"_

_Regina snatched the box back, mortified. "Can you please lower your voice," she whispered. _

_She looked around. The woman down the isle hadn't heard them. Or was pretending not to. Regina quickly gathered up the rest of her things and stood. Kathryn was grinning at her. _

_"Please be discreet," Regina begged._

_She frowned. "Why are you so..." Something clicked behind her eyes. "Oh." She took the brunette's hand. "They're going to be thrilled, Regina."_

_Her eyes widened before they became vulnerable. "You think?"_

_"Yes," she laughed. She linked her arm through Regina's. "So, when's my godchild due?" _

_**...**_

_"Regina?"_

_She fumbled with the box and test. She managed to get it behind her back before she answered._

_"Y-yes?"_

_He opened the bathroom door slowly, peaked in and frowned at her. _

_"I thought you were sick again," he said before he stepped into the bathroom._

_"Oh. No," she shook her head. "I'm fine." _

_She'd been throwing up violently for the last week or so. And he was there every time, held her hair up, rubbed her back, said calming things that made her snap at him, then brushed her comments aside and stayed near to help. He was still frowning. _

_She raised her brows in expectation. "Was there anything you needed?"_

_He looked behind her. "Is that... Is that a pregnancy test?" _

_Regina sucked in a breath. How did he-_

_"You're standing in front of a mirror, sweetie." He looked amused. _

_She looked behind her and saw that he was right. Her cheeks burnt when she looked at him again. _

_"Yeah," she admitted softly. _

_Her hand dropped to her side. He came closer and lifted the test curiously. She watched his face, wanted to gauge his reaction, but it remained still. _

_"Two lines means positive?" he asked, voice factual not questioning. _

_She nodded apprehensively. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he happy? Did he want-_

_Without warning, or any indication that he was going to, David kissed her. The suddenness of it made her take a step backward only to be brought closer by the hands on her hips. He pulled back and looked at her with something like awe. His smile was wide. And her heart felt lighter._

_"You're happy," she said in wonderment. _

_He nodded, hugging her. "Of course I'm happy," he said. He pulled back and cupped her cheek. His look became serious, concerned. "Why? Aren't you?" _

_"I..." She looked down, looked at her still flat stomach. "I am," she realised. Regina touched a hand to where their child would grow. She looked up, smiling at him. "Just a moment of irrational panic at the grocery store," she shook her head. "But... Yes, I'm happy."_

_His smile was relieved. "Good." His face lit up again. He touched her stomach, eyes bright with joy. "How far along are you?"_

_"I don't know. We can schedule an ultrasound later this week."_

_He laughed in amazement. "Henry's going to be so excited," he told her. "He's always wanted to be a big brother."_

_"I know," she smiled, remembering all the times he'd beg for Santa to bring him a little brother or sister. Or a puppy. That was always his second request. She smiled and hugged him again. _

_"Regina?" She hummed against him. "Can this one have my name?"_

_"Not a chance," she laughed. She kissed away his pout. "Hyphenated last name," she explained._

_"Oh," he smiled. "Okay." Then they hugged again. _

**~ Present ~**

"You knew this would happen," she said to herself again.

_Well that doesn't make it hurt any less!_

Regina groaned. She threw her head back against the door. She'd stopped crying about ten minutes ago, but couldn't move from the floor.

The kids were all asleep, earlier than usual due to the day they had. It was supposed to be fun, she thought with a scowl. It was supposed to be fun. The weather was warm and bright and sunny and she'd felt great. Her mood was light instead of anxious. Her smiles were real and not forced. She was enjoying herself, had forgotten about _The Curse_, about her worries, about _him_.

Then it all went to hell. She just had to see _them_. Together. Alone. In an alley. Their faces flushed, looking like they'd just been caught.

Regina pushed the image aside. She did not want to relive _that_ moment again.

There was an actual physical ache in her chest. Her head dropped to her knees.

It was horrible, yes, but she deserved it. She knew this would happen. That when he found out the truth he'd leave her and go back to Snow. She knew this would happen and took a chance anyway. She listened to this stupid beating thing in her chest regardless of the pain it would bring and mess it would create.

To be honest, it was a miracle he allowed Henry to stay with her. Her threat was a bluff and they both knew it. He'd _allowed_ her to keep Henry. And she hated it. She hated that when the Curse broke she would be at _their_ mercy. This was the _land without magic_ and she would be powerless here. Everyone would remember who she was, what she'd done to them and...

There would be a mile long line outside for her head.

She would be at _their_ mercy.

It seemed her tears had not run out yet.

_**...**_

"A new story, huh?"

Henry nodded eagerly. "This is why the book was missing. Whoever took it must have added the story." Emma's brows furrowed. Henry stopped walking. "What is it?"

She blinked and looked up, just snapped back to reality. "Nothing-"

"Lie."

He kept his eyes on her. Henry knew if he stared long enough she'd give in. It usually worked with his parents. Emma caved easily.

"I was just thinking... when I found the book, there was this guy outside the building." She shook her head, clearly uncomfortable. But Henry's gaze made her continue. "He rode off just as I... It's nothing, kid. Forget it."

"What guy? What did he look like?"

"He..." Emma stopped. "Henry, I don't want you to jump to conclusions or make up a scheme or think of some way to relate him to Operation Cobra-"

"Emma... What did he look like?"

She sighed, knowing he wouldn't give up until he had his answer. "He's the guy whose bike broke down outside your house."

"The stranger," Henry asked, baffled. "But that doesn't make sense." Emma seemed relieved by this. "How would he even know about my book?"

She jogged to catch up with him. "Kid, I never said he took your book," she said quickly.

"No, you just said that the _mysterious stranger_ who showed up after you did was seen at your apartment building just as you found my book. My book which now has a new story in it."

Henry bit his lip in thought. Emma groaned. He looked up at her, seeing her frustration. With a sudden sympathy, he decided to play along with her for today.

"You know what, Em? You're right. It's probably nothing. I must have overlooked the story the first time I read the book."

Emma raised a brow and scanned his features. She smiled in relief and they continued walking to school, Ava and Nicholas ahead of them, talking between themselves.

_**...**_

"And she bought that?" Regina asked skeptically.

"She wants to believe it so she does."

Regina's brows rose. "Oh, imagine that," she chuckled.

He laughed a little then looked at the book in front of them. "It's just weird..." Henry said. "If he added the story..." he shook his head. "Why would he add the story?"

"I... think we'll have to think on that some more, sweetheart," she said, eyes on the road as she turned right.

They were going to her vault again, to collect Graham's heart. She made a deal with him, his heart in exchange for him protecting her child once the Curse broke. She was not one for making deals, her time with Rumplestiltskin had made sure of that. But she was desperate. And running out of options. The Curse was going to break. Delaying the inevitable would do her no good, so she might as well be prepared.

_**...**_

"This might hurt," she warned.

"Not as much as it did when you ripped it out," Graham responded, smiling to hide his nervousness.

He couldn't believe the Queen was actually returning his heart to him. She looked up, lips pursed, clearly unamused by his quip. He gave her an apologetic look. Her hand paused mid-air from reaching into the satchel.

"I'm sorry."

Graham looked into her eyes and, when seeing only sincerity, nodded. She gave a small relieved smile and withdrew his heart. It was red and beating, glowing with a few black spots he'd accumulated over the years.

"Ready?"

He nodded. She brought her hand up to his chest and pushed the organ in slowly. Graham gasped at the sensation. It took a moment for him to process everything, all the emotions of the past few months came back and flooded his senses. Emma. He smiled at the thought of her.

He looked at Regina. She was watching him apprehensively. "Thank you," he breathed.

The hatred was gone, bitterness still lingered but Graham knew she had changed, had seen it first-hand with Henry and David. He knew this wasn't the Evil Queen anymore.

"I thought..." Graham looked to the small voice coming from Regina's side. Henry's eyes were wide. The boy looked to his mother. "I thought... only... _villains_... had black on their hearts."

She swallowed. Then touched her boy's head with a tired smile. "It's not always like that, Henry."

"Your book," Graham spoke up. Henry looked at him. "Its stories are written in black and white, heroes and villains." Henry nodded. "But real life... is not as simple as that. Real life is filled with grey."

_**...**_

"To us," he toasted.

She smiled, tried to ignore the way his eyes glazed over and take a sip but she couldn't. He was thinking of _her_. Mary-Margaret knew it. She was nothing more than a rebound, a floozy, a one night stand that had gone wrong. He was stringing her along and she knew it. But she was so afraid of being alone. She had a crush on him for years and at the first sign of interest, she practically jumped onto him. God, she was such an idiot.

He shook that reminiscent look away and focused on her instead.

She put down her champaign glass. "David... I'm sorry," she said. She stood from their moonlit picnic at the Toll Bridge. "I can't do this - whatever this is - anymore."

"Mary-Margaret-"

"You're still in love with your wife."

That shut him up. He couldn't even deny it. She was disgusted with herself for having kept this up so long, but could still leave here with her dignity in tact.

"And I think you should go back to her."

_**...**_

Henry was walking backwards up the path home. He looked at his mother intently.

"Do you really think the stranger could be Pinocchio?"

Regina nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense. The wardrobe was powerful enough to transport two but neither Snow White nor Prince Charming accompanied Emma. And the Curse prevents the townspeople from leaving and outsiders from entering-"

"So he has to be from your world," Henry realised.

"Exactly." She smiled at him with obvious pride. "And that little boy in the picture... He never came through. I imagine Snow White wouldn't hesitate to save a child. He must have escaped through the wardrobe with Emma to this world."

"And he added his story so that he'd be known."

Regina unlocked the door, nodding. She froze in the foyer. It was clear of the all boxes from this morning. The house looked cleaner, smelt of cleaning detergents and floor polish.

"Surprise," Henry said from her side.

She looked at him then back inside. "You cleaned?"

"Yeah," he smiled.

Ava cleared her throat just as Nicholas said, "Don't take all the credit, dude."

_**...**_

"We cooked too," Nicholas said proudly.

"Did you now?" Regina laughed a little.

He nodded from his place on the staircase, leaning onto the railing. "Well, we put frozen pizza in the oven and set a timer."

"And the place is still standing," Regina laughed.

"Come on," Henry tugged on her hand, leading her to the kitchen.

Ava felt her brows shoot up when Nick wrapped an arm around Regina's waist and walked with her into the kitchen. Last she'd checked, he didn't like physical contact. She set an arm around his shoulders and kissed the side of his head.

She trailed behind them. They'd cleaned the house, like actually cleaned - swept, mopped and dusted off furniture, did the laundry and dishes. Regina had been busy with work a lot lately. And though she kept a smile in place for Henry, Ava knew she was hurting too. Plus the baby stuff had arrived this morning and _that_ hadn't gone well.

After school, Ava had convinced the boys to help her with the place. They moved everything upstairs into the nursery and started unpacking some of the stuff. The things that needed to be assembled they'd left in their boxes. The boys got distracted easily though - when they saw their things in the mix. Nicholas found his lamp and ran to his room excitedly to test it out. And Henry had only lasted five minutes after that before he and his mother went to their family mausoleum.

"But you see there's a catch," Nicholas said mischievously.

Henry got out a pizza cutter and handed it to Regina. "Uh-huh," he nodded. Ava smiled that this side of him was finally coming out again. "We did all of this," he gestured around him with a big flourish. "In exchange for a movie night."

Nicholas nodded. "With-"

"Soda-floats?" Regina suggested as she cut the pizza.

Ava knew for a fact that her brother had not been about to suggest that, but he nodded as if it was his idea all along.

Regina's phone rang. Laughingly, she answered it. "Hello?" Her expression changed, her smile went away and brows furrowed. "What?" a few moments passed. She hung up and looked at them apologetically. "Someone broke into my office."

"What?" Henry exclaimed, confused.

She nodded, just as disbelieving. She shook her head. "I'll be back soon," she promised. She kissed Henry's forehead then Nicholas'. "Don't start the movie without me."

She gestured for Ava to follow her out of the kitchen. She did. Regina lifted her keys out of the bowl in the foyer.

"You really didn't need to do all this." Regina said, shaking her head slightly. "But thank you, Ava." She walked for the door then stopped. "Oh, Nick's ice-cream is in the second drawer of the freezer."

"Kay."

_**...**_

"Deputy, Sheriff," she greeted. "Reached a verdict yet?"

They were standing outside city hall, walking to the door. "We just got here," Emma said.

"Oh. Shall we then?" she gestured toward the office.

There was a sound behind them - a branch that snapped.

"Who's there?" Graham called. He shined his flashlight in the direction the sound had come from. A dark form was made by the light, a person, a man, shielding his face before he ran.

"Hey!" Graham went after him.

Emma drew her weapon and flashlight. She directed it ahead of her the gestured for Regina to follow her into the building. She stood for a few seconds uncertainly then followed her.

Emma went in first and flicked on her lights. Regina froze behind her.

Her office was a mess. There were papers strewn everywhere. Her desk was overturned. There were glass shards on the floor by the window and a brick close to where her chair was supposed to be. Said chair was nowhere to be seen. Her computer monitor was smashed in. The small glass coffee table was overturned and broken. Regina just stood in the doorway, stunned.

Emma had already walked in and was looking around. With a breath to collect herself from her shock, Regina moved forward and tried to sort through some of the papers on the floor. She realised they were all torn and, when looking up, noticed some sticky wet gloop on her ceiling. Emma came to stand next to her and followed her gaze.

"Amateurs," she decided. "Doesn't really look like anything was taken. Probably just some kids wanting to cause damage."

Regina thought about that boy from the other day, the one who hit Nick. She pursed her lips and looked away from the ceiling, thinking up a special kind of torture for the brat.

"I'll deal with this tomorrow," Regina decided. She had three kids at home waiting for a movie. And the thought of relaxing with them and eating pizza was extremely appealing.

Emma groaned tiredly. "Wish I could say the same." She put her hands into her pockets. "I'll walk you out."

They walked down the stairs to the front entrance. Regina hated the stairs now. It was becoming increasingly tiring to walk it. Or even walk in general. It was probably the heels. But she refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her without them. She held onto the railing and took deep breaths through her nose then let them out slowly through her mouth.

"Practicing your breathing?" the blonde asked over her shoulder. Regina narrowed her eyes warningly. Emma laughed. She was about four steps ahead of her and reached the door first. "No no," she laughed. She waited until Regina was at the bottom of the stairs. "It's smart. I should've done it with Henry." She grabbed the door handle. "The breathing exercises and all that. They say it-"

Just as she opened the door, it exploded in her face. Emma's hands immediately came up to shield her face, blocking her from harm. The force of the blast threw both women backward. Regina's head slammed against the railing. She yelped in pain. There was a crippling weight on her foot. Looking down, she realised a piece of debris had crushed her ankle. She couldn't stand. The room around them turned to fire.

"Come on," Emma urged, standing up and coughing.

"I can't move!"

Emma looked at her wide-eyed. The room was burning around them. She looked at the door then back at Regina. A decision flashed across her eyes. Regina's widened in response. She grabbed her hand.

"Are you going to leave me here?"

She didn't answer, only broke free from her grasp and ran into the next room.

"Emma!"

Regina looked around and panicked. The flames were getting closer. The air around her became hot and stifling. The smoke made it harder to breathe. She pushed the rubble off her leg and tried to stand. She fell with a cry of pain. Then tried again, this time she pulled herself up by the railing of the stairs. There was a sound from behind her. She looked back to see Emma holding a fire extinguisher, directing it at the flames. It cleared a path through the fire. She set her arm under Regina's.

"You thought I was gonna leave you," Emma scoffed. "The kid would kill me."

_**...**_

The bell chimed as David walked in, announcing his presence to the woman behind the counter. She looked up curiously from the book she was writing in. Accounts, it looked like.

"Mrs. Gold," he greeted politely.

"People really need to stop calling me that," she shook her head. She closed the book. "Deputy. To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked in her lovely accented voice.

"I'm looking for your better half."

She raised a brow at that. "Usually people call me that," she laughed. A moment passed. "He's at the back. I'll get him for you." She left the room.

David looked around the shop, taking in the strange artifacts and trinkets. Some he recognized from his world, others appeared older. He stopped at the mobile, Emma's mobile, and reached up hesitantly. His fingers trembled slightly as he touched the glass. _This was supposed to be hers_, he thought regretfully.

"Charming."

David's head snapped up at that. "What?"

"The mobile," Gold clarified. "Charming isn't it? Exquisitely designed. Masterfully crafted. You've a little one on the way. I could get it down if you like."

David withdrew his hand. "I think we both know that's not why I'm here."

"Of course," he smiled and David saw a trace of Rumplestiltskin then. His wife appeared behind him then. She came out of the back room separated by a thick red and black curtain.

"We were just finishing up for the night," she said. She looked between the two of them and noted the tension with perceptive eyes. "It looks like you're going to be a while," she sighed. "I'll see you at home." Lacey leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek and left the store. She grabbed her coat and hat from the coat rack as she passed David.

"The Queen and her Prince both awake at last," he said, leaning tiredly on his cane, just after the door closed.

His brows shot up at that. He hadn't expected the man to be so forthcoming. He expected riddles, for him to deny knowing about the Curse. David knew he was awake. There was no way he couldn't be. If the Evil Queen remembered then surely The Dark One would too.

"I need to wake Snow. I need your help."

His head tilted to the side. "Why do I feel as though we've already had this conversation?"

"But the rules are different here, right?" he asked desperately. "In our land you said that to get her to remember me and break the forgetting potion's hold on her, I'd have to get her to love me again. But... it's not working here. It's... It's like there's... something preventing us from... from connecting," he finished lamely.

Gold studied him, his face impassive. There was a small upward flick of the left corner of his mouth before he met the prince's eye.

"If I may..." he stopped questioningly. David nodded for him to continue. "Might I be so bold as to ask how _you_ managed to regain _your_ memories?"

_**...**_

"Oh, ow, ow! My ankle! Set me down gently, Swan!"

"Seriously, Regina?" Emma coughed. "You're complaining about how I saved your life?"

Graham ran closer and quickly lifted Regina's arm around his neck. She hissed as she leaned into his hold, allowed him to support her without the awkwardness she had with Emma.

Emma coughed from the smoke, hands on her knees as she bent over to get fresh air. She looked back at the cruiser, wanting to get a look at the perpetrator. But there was no one inside.

"Where's the guy?" she coughed. She rubbed a hand over her chest.

"He got away," Graham said, adjusting his hold on Regina. "Are you okay?"

Emma was about to answer, then realised he was talking to Regina. The Mayor started coughing violently. Graham patted her back, panicked. She clutched at her stomach, her features pinched in pain and distress. A second later, a fire truck's sirens echoed through the night. Within seconds it was in view. Firemen leapt out and started on putting out the fire. Regina groaned in pain. She nearly doubled over in Graham's hold.

"Woah woah woah," Emma came closer. She set her hands out to help then froze as she realised she didn't know how. "What's... Regina!"

"Something's wrong," she cried. She held her middle desperately. "Something's wrong."


	18. Chapter 18

_**~ Five years ago ~**_

_David opened the door slowly, careful not to make any noise as he shut it quietly behind him. He removed his leather jacket with a sigh and tossed his keys into the bowl in the foyer before he hung his jacket in the coat closet. _

_He heard soft footsteps on the stairs. Regina's he knew at once. "Thought I heard someone," she said. _

_He turned to find her frowning at him. She wore her grey robe and held a glass of dark red wine. Her hair was brushed backward and cut short, just under her ears. It was wet. She probably just got out of the shower, he guessed._

_"Do you usually get home this time?"_

_"Yeah."_

_He surprised himself by holding back an eyeroll. He'd been taking the late shift for almost two weeks now, usually came home to find her and Henry asleep. _

_Her eyes widened before they turned sympathetic. She walked forward. "Remind me again why you changed shifts with Graham?"_

_She stood in front of him now. He bit his tongue, not trusting himself not to snap at her for no reason, and looked away from her to the staircase. _

_"I'm gonna go upstairs._

"_Wait." She reached for his hand quickly. "Do you want to sit with me for a bit?"_

_He was surprised by the hesitant and apologetic way in which she asked it. _

_He shook his head. "No." _

_She blinked. "Oh."_

_He mentally kicked himself at her look. "I'm poor company right now. Don't really feel like talking." _

_She stepped back with a disappointed but accepting look. "Okay." Her smile was small and staged. She left and went in the direction of the kitchen._

_He sighed. His eyes followed her back as she walked away. David contemplated going after her, but found he really didn't have the energy for wherever that conversation was going to take them. He took a step toward the stairs. Warm light caught his eye. He stopped. He saw candlelight from the gap between the white wooden sliding doors that led to the living room. _

_Brows furrowed, he walked toward it. He pushed the doors aside and stepped through. There were candles everywhere and bright orange flames in the fireplace. In front of it was a red and white striped woollen quilt. A bottle of wine, one wine glass and a bowl of chocolate coated strawberries. An indoor picnic. His head turned to the sound of soft music. Regina's laptop was open on the small glass coffee table, a piano's melody came from it - she always said classical music calmed her. _

_He looked at her screensaver. It was a picture of them last Christmas. They all wore plain red sweaters with green plaid collars peeking out at the top. Henry was four and wore a little Santa's hat. Ruby had snapped it while they were at the Christmas Eve festival. They were standing by the town tree. It was decorated in white fairy lights and gold tinsel. He and Regina were crouched on either side of Henry. He was smiling, Henry's eyes were wide, and Regina kissed his cheek. He remembered the way Henry had groaned, "MO-OM!" at the unnexpedness of it, how she'd moved a second before the camera clicked. He loved that photo. The surprise on Henry's face. Her gorgeous profile and his stupid grin. They looked so happy._

_There was a surprised sound from behind him. He turned. She stood there, a wine glass in hand and her mouth full. It looked like she'd just taken a sip and was startled by him being there._

_"What's all this?"_

_She swallowed her wine and shrugged. "An attempt at seduction." She shook her head, walked over to her laptop and closed it. _

_He looked around them, to the picnic then back at her. The candles alone must've taken a while to do, to set and then light. Then moving the furniture... She did all this. For him. _

_He wiped a hand over his face and groaned. "Now I feel like an asshole."_

_She rolled her eyes. "You're not," she assured with a sigh. She bent to blow out some candles, then stopped to look at him. "You're not," she said again. She stepped forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Go get some sleep, David."_

_He held her instead, arms around her in a tight hug. He rested his head on her shoulder and breathed in deeply. Her arm wrapped around him. Her touch was calming, an anchor in the chaos of the stormy sea, grounding and comforting. She rubbed his back with a sympathetic hum, her other hand held her wine glass near their legs. He held onto her tighter._

_They rarely had time together these days. He usually went to sleep straight after he got home, then woke up in time to make breakfast - she was always gone by then. Then he drove their son to school and slept until he needed to fetch Henry and drop him off at Regina's office. And after that he went in to the station. They barely spent any time together lately. He was working odd hours at the station, left in the afternoons and came home late at night - or early in the morning, depending on how you wanted to look at it. And her day hours were taken up with budget hearings, council meetings and Henry. _

_"Bad day?"_

_He sighed against her neck, allowed the tension and frustration to come out as a huff of air. "Not that great," he admitted. _

_Another hum. "Mine too," she said softly. She pulled back to look at him. "Hence," she lifted her glass, "the wine." _

_He felt his lips flick upward at that, a weak attempt at a smile. "Why'd you do all this?" _

_"I missed you."_

_She tried to cover it, to play it down, but he saw the vulnerability in her shrugged honest answer. He felt selfish for it, but he wanted to be alone. Well, as alone as he could be when he shared a bed with her. As if reading his thoughts, she disentangled herself from him with a resigned look. _

_"Go get some sleep," she said again. "I'll clean up."_

_A new wave of guilt came over him then. "Regina..."_

_"I'm not upset," she said with a slight eye roll. "I'd be ridiculous if I expected you to stay up. It's really late and I was just in the process of clearing this away when you came home." He looked at her a bit longer. "David," she sighed. "It's fine."_

_He walked to her laptop and opened it. "What time do you have to go into the office tomorrow?"_

_"I don't." He frowned. "Took the day off," she explained. _

_He pressed play on the first item he saw on her playlist. And found her watching him. But couldn't tell what she was thinking. He usually could. But they'd been so out of tune lately._

_"Then," he came closer, "I think the chocolate strawberries were a good idea."_

_She blinked, looked at the quilt then back to him. "I know you're tired. And we don't have to talk..." she touched his arm, rubbed it. "I'd just _really_ like some time with you. We can sit and drink wine. Fall asleep in front of the fire..."_

_He smiled at that, reached for her hand and nodded. "That sounds nice." _

_She smiled, relieved, and led him to the quilt. David stepped out of his shoes and sat down. He had his back against the side of the couch, his legs stretched in front of him. She sat next to him, her body tucked into his side, his arm around her shoulders and her bare legs folded neatly under her. _

_He wondered briefly what she was wearing under her robe, but shook away the thought as soon as it came. Her arm came around his middle. She rested her head on his shoulder. A few minutes passed. She let go for a moment, enough time to sit up and fill his glass. She passed it to him wordlessly. He took it and placed it at his side. She laid her head back down, let out a soft hum and pressed closer. _

_"I miss this."_

_He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. "Yeah," he agreed quietly. He ran his hand over her leg. "I've missed this too."_

_**...**_

_After too many minutes of silence and wondering what exactly she was thinking about as she traced the lines of his hands, David decided to ask. She'd been dozing off and was startled by the question, then answered. And they'd been talking for a while since then. _

_"I don't want to be Mayor anymore," she said suddenly. _

_He nearly choked on the sip he'd just taken. "W-what? Why?"_

_"It makes me miserable," she said simply. "Long hours. Tedious problems. Practically no social life." She took a sip of her wine. "I can't do it both. Be here and there. I think... I think I need to step down."_

_"No," he said at once. "You can't." She scoffed. "No, seriously." He put down his glass and made her look at him. "This town wouldn't survive without you. You can't."_

_She met his eyes, clearly surprised by his reverence. It may have caused a few - okay, fine, admittedly more than a few - arguments between them but she was good at what she did. She was hard-working, dedicated, and had a knack for politics. She was brilliant at what she did. She loved it even when she was complaining about it, even when she was stuck in a heated debate on the phone and it would give him migraines to be around her. _

_He admired that about her, her passion, and couldn't picture her stepping down because he'd been unreasonable and wasn't understanding about the amount of time she wasn't at home. Which wasn't even the case anymore because she was the one picking up the slack at night lately. She was the one seeing to Henry. She was the one who cooked and cleaned and did all the extra stuff that needed to be done, while he tried to lessen his exhaustion by sleeping through the mornings and spending (at most) an hour with their son before he headed to the station. _

_She couldn't quit. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she did._

_She shook her head. "I can't do both," she said. "You and Henry- Our family is supposed to come first, but it never feels like that. It feels like I'm juggling two worlds here. And I'm not sure it's worth it." _

_"Of course it is." She shook her head again. "Regina, this... this isn't just a job to you. It's part of your life. It's fulfilling. You said that yourself-"_

_She snorted. "That was when Henry was small enough for me to take him to the office with me. Or to work from home. That's when it was fulfilling. When I could do it both. _

_"He's in school now. He doesn't understand why I'm home less and less, why I barely spend time with him. Why Mommy can't pick him from school. Why she's always at the office. _

_"He's bored out of his mind whenever you drop him off. He doesn't understand-" she cut herself off. Then took a deep breath. "To be honest, neither do I." She looked at him. "Why am I doing all of this if it's causing such a strain on me? On us?"_

_He felt guilty at the mere mention of their son, but he didn't realise just how bad things were for her. Henry was her world. _

_"My son is growing up, David. And I feel like I'm going to miss it. That one day he'll be slamming doors in my face, screaming, 'I hate you,' like teenagers do, and I won't even know where the time went."_

_Her eyes started tearing at the corners. "Hey…" He leaned forward quickly and hugged her. She breathed a cry against his shoulder. "It feels like that for me too sometimes. But... Regina, that won't happen. You're not going to miss anything. And he might not now, but Henry's going to understand someday. He's not gonna hate you." He rubbed her back. "Okay?" She sniffled then nodded. "Good." He kissed the side of her head. His eyes closed as he just remembered. "I was supposed to help him with his project before I left."_

_She let go of him with a teary laugh at that. "I know." She wiped her eye and switched to a lighter voice. "He was upset but I explained-"_

_"That the reason Daddy is home less than Mommy now is because he also has an important job," he said for her, voice just a tad condescending. He eased the burn of his words with a smile. _

_Her look told him she didn't find it funny, but had simply decided to let it slide. She took the glass from his hand and refilled it. _

_"How badly did he react?" he asked, wincing slightly. _

_He knew just how difficult their "little bundle of joy" could be. David loved his son, truly. He was smart, kind, curious, brave and imaginative. He radiated love and a beaming energy wherever he went. _

_But Henry was also spoiled and demanding and an absolute nightmare when things weren't going his way. _

_A few weeks ago, he'd thrown himself flat on the floor of the supermarket, crying and shrieking when he couldn't get the Hulk action figure he absolutely "needed." Which Regina ended up buying anyway. That had resulted in a huge fight between them. An argument of him accusing her of undermining his parenting and her brushing off his frustration by rolling her eyes and saying, "It's just a toy." He'd accused her of being a hypocrite, asked her how she'd react if the situation were in reverse, then called her out on her lie that she would probably be more understanding than he was._

_It hadn't gone well, he reflected. _

_And thinking back on it now, David realised she may have been trying to sway her guilt, to make up for not being there._

_Her voice brought him back to the present. "After I explained?" she asked, brow arched. She passed him his glass. "He was... still upset. But... appeased... when I helped him with it instead." _

_"You," he asked sceptically, "constructed a birdhouse?" _

How are children in kindergarten expected to make a birdhouse by themselves?_ he wondered. _And why?

_"Mhm-hm." She nodded. "Which is why I'll have to rework those contracts," she pointed to a stack of papers near her briefcase, "tomorrow." _

_He chuckled. "So where's your birdhouse, Mills?"_

_She pointed to the dinner table. He felt his brows shoot up. _Impressive_, was the first word that came to mind._

_"On occasion…" She rolled her eyes as she caught sight of his disbelief. "I'm quite good with my hands." He glanced down to her hand, on his leg, his cheeks suddenly warm. She smirked at the innuendo and reached forward. "Do you want a strawberry?" she asked, offering one to him._

_"Erh... sure." _

_She lifted it to his lips. He took a bite and moaned at the taste. He realised only then that he hadn't eaten since he'd left for work that afternoon. The fruit was sweet, slightly sour but in a delicious way. The chocolate was dark - her favourite - but not overbearingly so. It was... It tasted good. The wine, the sweetness of the strawberry with the dark chocolate... _

_She chuckled then leaned in to place a kiss onto his jaw as he chewed. He didn't think anything of it. Not until she started stroking up his thigh, high enough to make him tense momentarily. He felt her grin broaden against his cheek. _

"_Regina-"_

_She hummed in response to his questioning tone. Her tongue darted out and licked the shell of his ear. He squirmed at the sensation. _

_"Ticklish?" she laughed._

_He almost responded, then her lips moved lower, to the underside of his jaw and throat. Her kisses turned to nips and nips to bites, bites soothed by her tongue. _

_He heard her set her glass down and marked the sound absently. Focused instead on the feel of her soft lips on him, on her teeth and her tongue, on her hands. They moved up his arms and shoulders, held his neck tenderly as she made him burn. His hand was suddenly in her hair, suddenly in half-dry tresses. Her neck was warm. _

_His body relaxed instantly under her touch and David wondered what on earth he was thinking earlier. He didn't need to be alone. He needed this. He needed _her_. _

_"Regina," he moaned. She lifted his head upward, did something with her tongue that made him jerk in surprise._

_She murmured a laughed, "Sorry," against his neck. _

_He leaned back to look at her. "No..." His voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat. "No, do that again."_

_She smirked, took the glass from his hand and set it next to them. "Again?" _

_He nodded, took her waist in both hands and guided her onto him. His hands roamed her body, opened her robe and felt the soft outline of her body, the satin material of her lingerie. He groaned. She was wearing the dark blue one he loved, the one with flimsy tempting lace at her breasts, the one that clung to her perfectly, the material like water._

_She chuckled and leaned down again. She kissed his neck. He waited, tense, for her to repeat what she'd done earlier. Her teeth grazed over him, the skin near his Adams apple, as if to bite it, then her tongue swivelled out. And he shuddered. _

_"Did I forget our anniversary or something?" he gulped._

_She leaned up. "No," she chuckled again. This time near his ear. Her breath made him shiver. _

_He held the back of her thighs, palmed her skin as she made his body and insides burn with want. She nipped his neck again, delivered heated, lingering kisses to his skin. He breathed her name again. His hands moved up, one to the small of her back and the other to her neck. Her kisses moved upward. _

_Then she stopped. A breath short of his lips, she stopped. David looked at her curiously when she reached behind her and lifted another strawberry to his lips. His throat was dry. Confused, he took a bite. He'd just swallowed, had barely managed the task of chewing with her heated gaze on him, when she leaned forward and licked the taste off his lips. He shuddered in anticipation and leaned forward. She pushed him back by the shoulders. Her smile was teasing. This little... _

_He took the back of her neck and roughly brought her face to his. She made a startled sound that he swallowed when their lips touched. He sighed in relief, as their mouths melded together, as her body melted into his. He pushed the robe from her shoulders. Her skin turned to goose flesh under his hands. She shivered. His hips jerked upward. Her back arched into him unexpectedly. A delicious little muffled, "David," moved from her mouth to his. _

_What was he thinking earlier? Her tongue traced the line of his lower lip, asked for permission that he granted readily. He opened his mouth to her, made a confused sound of protest when she pulled away instead._

_She pushed him back gently by the shoulders, laughing lightly. "I waited up for _hours_. I think you can wait a few more minutes." _

_"No," he disagreed immediately. He shook his head and leaned forward again. "I really don't think I can." _

**~ Present ~**

_I really shouldn't be doing this_, he thought for the dozenth time.

David was sitting in bed at Granny's, scrolling through the pictures on his phone, watching and re-watching family videos. He was currently staring at the picture of them on Christmas Eve six years ago, currently reliving that memory.

He remembered the feel of Regina's gloved palm against his as they chased after a sugar-high Henry, the three of them sitting cosily on their picnic blanket as they looked at the stars, then tramping snow and dirt from their boots as they made their way back home. He tucked Henry into bed as she hung up their coats. He remembered the small smile on his son's little angelic face as he slept. And later being led to their bedroom by her coy smile and the promise of an early Christmas present.

He thought of their indoor picnic a year later, how she set up an evening for them, for him.

It couldn't have all been fake, could it?

All the fights and the arguments? The week-long silences, the disagreements, the snide comments, the sarcastic remarks. Her arched brow. The teasing he'd have to endure every time he asked her to make his tie. All the jokes. Their lunch dates and phone calls, the morning banter and evening conversations, the back massages and chess matches. It couldn't _all_ have been fake, right?

_"... compiled a list of all the-"_

_"Shhh," he cut her off excitedly. "I felt something," he said as he pressed his hand firmer against her stomach._

_She looked down, brows furrowed in confusion then arched in amusement. "I'm pretty sure I would have felt it first, David." She rolled her eyes._

_He felt it again, a flutter beneath his palm, a little kick. He looked up at her excitedly. _

_"Okay," she said through a breathless smile. "Felt that one."_

He swallowed over the lump in his throat, over the emotions that unexpected memory had evoked.

_I miss her_, David realised then.

He loved her- _loves_ her. He thought of Mary-Margaret. How even she could see that. And how blind he must have been not to have realised it himself.

He loved her.

It should have been harder to accept. He should have been struggling with his feelings, should have something left in him fighting this, something urging him toward Snow. But he didn't. And accepting that was easy, better than easy, a relief actually, like a weight had just been lifted from his shoulders.

He loved Regina.

And maybe she...

Maybe she...

David didn't- He couldn't believe that she used him. That their time together meant nothing to her. That _he_ meant nothing to her. That she could just discard him and their marriage, her wedding ring, after only a day. He didn't want to believe it. Because in these photos, in his memories...

_It couldn't have been fake_, he thought desperately.

A bitter part of him urged him to believe it, to just accept that she was capable of deception on that scale. That she was cold and resentful and heartless. That he never actually knew her. That she never loved him. That he meant nothing to her.

The more sensible part of him fought against that, argued that if he felt this strongly about her then surely she must feel some semblance of warmth for him.

They had spent nearly a decade together after all. It may not have been perfect but...

He scoffed at himself.

Perfect?

No, it definitely was not perfect.

She was a stubborn, temperamental and controlling bitch who knew exactly which buttons to push. And he was an unreasonable idiot who rarely thought before he spoke, who triggered most arguments by refusing to just shut up or let her speak. David supposed he enjoyed ruffling her feathers, goading her until she snapped, getting under her skin, then into her pants.

_He caught her hands as she tried to hit him. He secured her wrists against her chest. She was still scowling, still struggling, still spitting insults. God, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't turned on._

"_Let go of me," she snarled._

_His anger dissipated, replaced by lust, dark and primal lust. "No," he said calmly. He chuckled at her warning look. "You're so full of crap you can't even admit when you're wrong."_

_Her chest was heaving. He glanced down at it. At her breasts that seemed to almost spill from the top of her dress, from that deep plunge. Happy anniversary, he thought sarcastically. _

"_And you are wrong, Regina."_

_He angled her mouth to his and crashed his lips against hers greedily. _

"_Fuck you," she said when they parted for breath. _

"_Eloquent as ever." He released her wrists and took her waist instead. "And you can do it so much better."_

_She hissed in pain when his fingers dug into the skin of her back, when he tore the dress open and accidently broke the zipper. He spun her around. _

_He felt her shiver when he hiked her skirt up. "Bend over," he demanded. _

_She gasped and leaned back to grab his neck. "Make me."_

God, they were so dysfunctional at times. Yet they'd made it work. Even then they were madly in love with each other.

A controlling bitch...

He smiled at the thought, chuckling under his breath.

_Yeah, she was that._

But she was also supportive and loving and soft, so tender at times, so gentle that he felt he didn't deserve her. And he supposed he had lived up to his name in some way, had swept her off her feet. He must have. How else could he have gotten her to marry him?

Thinking back on it, it was... It was... What they had was healthy. It was a normal functioning relationship with its expected ups and downs, with arguments and disagreements.

More often than not, he had to suck up his pride and admit he was wrong. She begrudgingly did the same on a few occasions. It was good. It was healthy.

In fact, he'd say it was much healthier than what he had with Snow.

They hadn't really known each other. And most of their time they'd spent apart, they'd spent fighting to be together. They were young, idealistic and naive when they'd first met and had given their lives to _finding each other_.

He had internalized everything to avoid hurting her feelings or not living up to the image of her _perfect_ Prince Charming.

There was no honest communication between them until they'd found out they were expecting Emma. And by then it was too late; the Dark Curse was brewing, the Evil Queen was coming and they had to find a way to save their people.

With Regina... With Regina, honesty was their flaw. If something was bothering one of them, the other would know about it, feelings be damned. And it was, to an extent, exhilarating to be able to speak so freely, to shout and scream at and argue with one another, to disagree on practically everything and not be afraid of the consequences.

They argued about practically everything, every parenting decision they ever made, about countless petty and insignificant details. There were moments of jealousy, anger and even loathing. But there was always love and support. And David knew in the back of his mind that she'd still be there, that he couldn't push her away no matter what he said or did. And vice versa.

Even when they'd end up on the point of nearly hurting each other, of her nearly smacking him across the face or throwing the nearest object against his head out of frustration, of him wanting to throttle her during an argument or shake her until she saw reason. Even when he stormed out, he knew when he got home he'd find her waiting up to yell at him again, a murderous expression on her face. And that he could kiss it away, could make her melt against him, could whisper apologies against her lips and that she'd forgive him. Even when she shut him out for days, he knew she'd open up again, that she'd talk to him, that she'd kick her ego to the curb and explain whatever the hell was going on in that head of hers. That he'd listen to whatever she had to say, then forgive her just as easily, would ease her worries and hold her until she'd calmed down.

Then they'd go back to how they were. And things would be great again, they'd be stronger because of it and the next argument would be dealt with better.

He wished it was that simple this time. That it was just a fight about buying that stupid toy or Henry's grades or work commitments or-

But it wasn't.

It wasn't an ill-timed comment on his part or an opposing view on hers. It was a secret, a lie, a betrayal. One he never knew could cut so deep.

Yet even so, he wished he'd stayed. He wished he hadn't left. That she hadn't made him.

"Right," he sighed.

Next picture.

A blurred one of Henry that same evening, his attention on the giant chocolate cupcake in front of him.

If only she hadn't remembered...

David set his phone down to ponder that.

_What would have happened if she hadn't remembered?_

Would he really have been able to tell his wife, the mother of his children, the woman carrying his son-

Regina. Would he really have been able to tell Regina that _The Curse_ was real? That he was some fictional two-dimensional character in a children's book? That he was _Prince Charming_? That he had to leave her for a woman he couldn't bring himself to touch the way he touched her? That he was in love with that woman? That he was in love with someone else? That he was in love with Snow White?

He almost laughed at himself. Would he really have been able to tell Regina Mills that he didn't love her? Regina Mills who claimed his blue plaid shirt to garden in. Who would start a water war whenever they'd wash their cars together. Regina Mills who made the world's best lasagne. Who perfected apple cider. Regina Mills who refused to take his last name on account that hers "sounded better."

Would he really have been able to _end things between them calmly? _Tell her that he'd still be there for her? Would he really have been able to feed her such pure bullshit when he couldn't even stomach it right now?

No.

He wouldn't have.

In all honesty, he would probably have ended up chickening out and pretending to be David Nolan again.

He would have allowed her to verbally tear him limb from limb for the affair she thought he was having. He would have explained himself profusely, accepted any brand of torture she thought up. He would have even accepted her blatant refusal to speak to him for months as she had previously been doing, he would have-

Wait! David shook his head and sat up quickly.

Her blatant refusal to speak to him for months as she had...

God... He groaned. Was he truly that blind?

_"The Queen and her Prince __both__ awake at last?"_

Was he really that blind? That stupid? That...

_"I've... There's something I have to tell you."_

How had he missed the fact that his _wife_ had suddenly become closed-off and cold with absolutely no reason? That her silent treatment had lasted for months and not just the few days he was used to? That she had shut him out completely?

How could...

Okay, he understood how Charming could overlook it. But how could David? David knew her. He _knew_ her. God, how could he have been so blind?

_"Might I be so bold as to ask how _you_ managed to regain _your_ memories?"_

He shot up in bed at that. How _did_ he regain his memories? He thought about it, wracked his brain until...

The first flashback he had was the night he went to the Rabbit Hole, the night he and Mary-Margaret almost... He still felt guilty about that. The first flashback was that night. When he kissed Regina in her home office. _Rolling black clouds and strikes of purple lightning. _It was _her_. Her kiss. It was her kiss that sparked his memory. Not Snow's or Mary-Margaret's. Hers. It was _her_.

He shrugged on his clothes and shoes. Regret and desperation urged him out the B&B. He needed to make things right.

_**...**_

"No, no, no, no!" Ava said desperately.

She looked back and forth between the television screen and her controller. She and Nicholas were standing in front of the TV in the rec room, each with a controller in hand. Nicholas was jumping in excitement. He glanced at Ava with a smug expression.

"Oh, come on! Just give up already. You suck at this game, Ava."

"Shut up," she huffed, the controller firmly in her hands. "You're distracting me."

"From what? Casting your little spell?" he taunted. He laughed, clearly enjoying his sister's frustration. "Boom!" he grinned, eyes victorious as his virtual character defeated hers with a blast of neon yellow light from his wand. He turned to her. "I just bippity-bopitty-booed your ass, Cinderella."

Ava growled. She tossed her controller onto the couch behind her. Henry laughed. She really was a sore loser. And Nicholas was a sore winner.

"Come on let's go another round."

"No."

"Aww, come on."

"No!"

"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "Henry," Nick called. He waved the controller at him. "You wanna play?"

"No thanks."

He narrowed his eyes at him. "Lame."

She turned away from her brother with a huff and went to Henry. "Homework?" Ava asked. She tied up her hair and came to stand at his side. She stopped by his chair and looked at his sketch with a curious expression.

"No," he answered unnecessarily, pencil moving in to emphasize the shape of the wrist he was drawing. She leaned down further and her shadow fell over the page. "Ava, you're in my light."

"Oh. Sorry." She quickly pulled up a chair and sat next to him. Henry glanced up quickly then back down to the page.

Usually when he drew, he just let his emotions spill onto the page. Only about halfway through he realized what he was drawing and started making a conscious effort to add detail and certain lines and whatever. He'd realised it was a witch's hand two minutes ago. He stopped and frowned at the page. Something about it didn't... feel... right. It was-

"You're really good."

He looked up quickly and stuttered out a small, "Thanks."

"Hey." Henry looked up. Nick had just turned off the video games and was standing by their movie collection. "Star Wars again?" he asked.

Henry looked at Ava and shook his head. She and Regina hated Star Wars and Star Trek, said it was too long and boring.

"Okay... Any suggestions then?" he asked, his back to them.

Henry shrugged and looked at Ava. "Something funny," she answered. Then she looked at Henry's drawing again.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it."

Henry hopped up to go answer it, snapping his sketchbook closed on the table. He bounded over to the door and opened it, immediately confused.

"Dad?"

"Hey Henry," he greeted. He stepped inside without even asking and hugged him quickly. He looked around. "Where's your mom?"

Henry's confusion only increased at that. It wasn't his day. They spent Fridays and Saturdays together and had dinner on Mondays because Tuesdays and Thursdays was therapy which meant he got to hang out with Emma afterward. Henry frowned at the thought of being shared between three parents. He didn't like that. Ugh. Things were so... complicated now. He didn't like it. He wondered what they all did when he wasn't around.

"Henry?"

That snapped him out of his thoughts. He shook his head. "Mom's not here."

David's phone rang.


	19. Chapter 19

_**I am so incredibly sorry it's taken so long. Please leave a review.**_

* * *

_**Eight years ago**_

_"As much as I am enjoying you fawning over me," Regina wrote, "I feel the need to point out that I haven't forgotten how to use a spoon."_

_David read the note and snorted. "I know that. But, right now you're barely holding onto that pen. And I'm enjoying feeding you."_

_She rolled her eyes but took the spoonful of tomato soup offered to her. "And there are simpler ways of getting my attention. You didn't have to scare me to death."_

_She wrote. He fed her another spoonful. She set the pen down and lifted her notepad to his view. _

_"Where's the fun in that?" he read. He looked up at her. "Very funny." She wrote again. "Chess?" he read. "Again? You sure your ego can handle losing to me?" He dodged the notepad when she tried to hit him with it. _

_"Mama!"_

_They startled at Henry's fearful screech - he'd been having nightmares lately. A second later they heard his feet on the ground then their bedroom door slammed open and a scared toddler ran in. He ran around the bed to Regina's side._

_"Woah, woah, easy bud." David caught him quickly._

_"Mama," he cried and stretched out his arms, reaching for her. "Mama."_

_Her face crumpled in despair as she looked at him. _

_"Mommy's not feeling well," David reminded gently as he rubbed Henry's back. "And she can't hold you because we don't want you to get sick too."_

_His eyes welled up with tears. "Mama. I want Mama."_

_David looked at her, saw the helpless and slightly guilty look in her eyes. "One hug," he bargained with the toddler. He kissed Henry's head then walked toward her. "Say goodnight to Mommy," he said, lowering Henry to her. _

_Henry leaned forward and clasped his arms tight around her neck. "Niiiigh' Mama," he lisped._

_Her heart melted at the sound. She held him just as tightly then let go. She smiled at him, forced herself not to kiss his head out of instinct. Henry leaned back, sated now, and lowered his head to the crook of David's neck. _

_"I'm gonna go lie him down."_

_**Present**_

"Mom's not here."

David's brow furrowed. Did she tell him to say that if he came over unannounced? Or was she really out? She'd never left him alone before. He heard yelling from the rec room and remembered Ava and Nicholas. Right. Henry wasn't exactly alone with them. His phone rang. He quickly fished it out of his pocket and frowned at the caller ID.

"Mary-Margaret?"

He turned away from Henry's inquisitive look and walked into the kitchen. He heard Henry close the front door.

"David," she exclaimed in relief. "Hey-" She cleared her throat. "I was... I called to... I was gonna... David uh- I... Look, I-"

"Mary-Margaret," he cut her off. He took a moment. He didn't know what she wanted but from him right now, but he knew what he did wanted. "You were right to end things." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I stringed you along. That was wrong and-"

"David," she said softly. "This isn't what I wanted to... I called to... Wow, this is embarrassing." Her voice lowered as if she couldn't bring herself to say the words. "The PTA's next week."

For the span of three heartbeats, he didn't understand, then it clicked. His spine stiffened and David found himself breathing out a shocked, "Oh."

"Yeah," she groaned. "Could you sit in instead of... of your wife?" A few moments passed. "Please?"

He laughed under his breath at her desperation then at how screwed up the situation was. "Yeah... Sure."

She sighed and he could picture her melting in relief on the other end. "Thank you," she breathed. She laughed a little, a bit nervously. He did too. Then he cringed. It was going to be really awkward. "Well, now that I can cross that off my to-do list," she said, "I'm going to hang up."

He looked at his phone after their call ended. _What the hell just happened?_ If the Curse hadn't been real, he would have scoffed at the predictability of a husband leaving his wife for their child's school teacher. Or babysitter. The thought was enough to make him cringe again. He tried Regina's number. Straight to voice mail. David walked out of the kitchen in search of Henry. He found him sitting at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for him.

"Are you gonna go now?" he asked. "To Ms. Blanchard?"

"No," David shook his head. He frowned at Henry's skeptical, "Oh." He went to sit down next to him. "What's wrong?"

Henry shrugged. "Nothing." He took a deep breath and looked up with an almost convincing smile. David was about to question him on it when he asked, "Why were you looking for Mom?"

Caught by surprise, David's eyes widened. He cleared his throat and looked down. He hadn't been expecting to explain this to Henry. To be honest, he didn't even know what he was going to say to Regina. He just rushed over here without a plan. Typical, he scoffed at himself. Balls without brains, she would have said. He shook away the thought and focused on Henry, on his imploring and confused gaze.

"I... I uh..." he cleared his throat. "I need to speak to her."

He made a thoughtful sound then looked down. "I miss you," he said quietly. David was about to set a hand on his back, was about to apologize again, when Henry said, "I think Mom does too." He froze. Henry looked at him again. "She's just better at hiding it." He gave David a weak smile. "Do you want to see the nursery? The stuff was delivered today. We set it up after school."

The nursery. He'd completely forgotten about that. The furniture was delivered today. He frowned. They said it would take a week. It had been two weeks since Boston. Two weeks. Had it really only been two weeks? It felt like forever. Two weeks without her.

"It's not ready yet," Henry went on. "But almost. You wanna see?"

David nodded absently and followed him up the stairs to the small room that was Henry's nursery. They'd emptied it when he turned two and moved him into the "Big Boy" room down the hall. He could still remember Henry's excitement when he saw his new bed.

David noticed a wooden rocking chair by the window. It was the same one they had with Henry. He remembered her sitting there, the sunlight streaming in, turning her hair golden brown. He closed his eyes and pushed the memory aside. He looked around the room again, took a breath to root himself in the present. There was a dark wooden dresser against one wall. The box with the crib was next to it. It still needed to be assembled. The few shelves that they hadn't taken down after Henry were lined with baby books and little stuffed animals. He looked around again. The state of the room was really sad. It wasn't ready yet. And she was due in about three weeks.

He always pictured a white room with red painted shelves and dark wooden furniture, old toys like tin soldiers and wooden blocks with letters painted on, maybe a stuffed dragon or two, a changing station where he could dress the baby up in little costumes or comb his hair in strange styles like he used to do with Henry. Maybe a forest themed wallpaper on one wall. And the crib would stand in the centre of the room. He thought of that rocking chair by the window with a small table next to it where he could put down a cup of coffee while he rocked his son to sleep. Or where she'd rest her reading glasses after boring their baby to sleep with poetry and old stories.

He looked around again and sighed. This was not how things were supposed to turn out. It was supposed... It was supposed to be... Different. Happier.

He flicked on the light and walked into the room. "Henry," he turned around. "Go get my toolbox from the garage."

His face stretched into a grin. "Okay." He turned and bounded down the stairs to his task. David began moving the furniture.

_**...**_

"Hello, Madame Mayor. My name is William. I'm a nurse. I will be with you until a doctor gets here." His voice was a careful cheery, calm and also assured, confident. "I need you to breathe," he said. "Breathe in and out. In," he inhaled. "And out," he exhaled dramatically.

Fear gripped her heart like the talons of an eagle gripped its prey. Her throat clenched in panic and fear. She shook her head. There was a sharp piercing pain in her lower womb.

"Breathe."

"S-s-something is wrong," she cried out. "I c-can't... He's..." Tears stung at her eyes. Another shot of pain ran through her. Her body tensed in agony.

The nurse took her face in his hands. "Breathe," he said again, this time more serious. His eyes were blue, she saw, above the mask that covered the lower part of his face. Dark blue. Like the sea. Steady like the sea.

"Listen to me," he said urgently. "You need to calm down. I understand that you are scared, but your child is in danger. If you do not calm down there is a very real possibility that he will not see the light of day." His eyes turned hard. "Now, do as I say. Breathe. In. And out. In. And out."

Swallowing down her fear, Regina did as told. Her hands trembled and body hurt. The pain in her womb came regularly, each time panic would flare down her veins like fire, and each time she forced it back down. She stared into the nurse's eyes and used his blue irises as an anchor to pull herself back to the present.

He let go of her and stepped back. His eyes crinkled at the corners; a smile. "There. That wasn't so hard. Now, was it?"

She breathed out a laugh then pain struck again and she clutched at her stomach. He came to her side again, took her hand. "What you are currently experiencing, Your- is contractions. Perfectly normal."

"Painful," she gasped.

"Yes," he agreed immediately. Her word was punctuated with a squeeze of his fingers. He winced. "But perfectly normal."

She breathed through them, calmer now that she knew what she was dealing with. She felt like she was going to die earlier. No one had warned her that pain of this magnitude existed before.

"You were quite dramatic earlier," she said to distract herself. "About... him not seeing _the light of day_."

He laughed softly. "You are a woman who thrives under pressure. I'm told. But you are also a mother. And mothers go to extraordinary lengths to protect their children. So I thought if I bared the truth you would be more likely to do the _idiotic breathing exercises_."

Her brow furrowed in pain and she clutched at his hand. "Got all that from my file, did you?"

"No." He brushed some hair from her face. "I just happen to be exceptionally good at reading people."

_**...**_

"She's going to be fine, love," Graham said.

Emma shook his hands off. It felt like mayhem around her. There were nurses and doctors buzzing around. The hospital had never looked more busy than it did tonight. She was freaking out. She was panicked and worried and- _Oh my god what is happening?_ she thought in frustration. It felt like they'd gotten here hours ago, even though Graham kept assuring her that only a few minutes had passed.

She was fine during the drive to the hospital - she and Graham had followed behind the ambulance in the cruiser. Then they'd gotten here and panic had hit her square in the chest.

"You should get those burns seen to."

She jumped in surprise. Whale stood by the counter, a clipboard in hand. He wasn't looking at her, attention firmly on the board in front of him. His tone was bored. He made to walk away. Emma stood quickly and caught his arm.

"Whale, right?" He nodded. "What's going on?" He gave her an odd look. "With the Mayor?" she elaborated.

"Oh." He shrugged. "You'll have to ask her doctor."

He tried to walk off. She stopped him. "Isn't that you?"

"Not anymore. Apparently she's run out of patience for my _'perverse'_ sense of humour." He shook his head. "One joke. _One._ And suddenly it's-"

"She's asked for a different doctor?"

"Yeah." He looked at her like she was stupid. "That's what I just-"

She pushed past him and went to the nurse who just came out of the room. The nurse saw her, then took a step back, eyes wide. The nurse shook her head, laughed at herself then walked forward.

"Sorry, Deputy. You looked like you were on the war path."

Emma cringed. "I just want to know what's happening."

"Of course," the nurse smiled. "Samantha," she introduced herself, sticking out a gloved hand.

Emma eyed the hand uncomfortably. The nurse pulled it back with a slight laugh. Emma took that to mean nothing bad was happening and relaxed. Samantha gestured her to the counter where she picked up a folder.

"She's having difficulty breathing," the nurse said. "Presumably from the smoke. But she also seems to be on the verge of a panic attack. If her condition doesn't improve neither will the baby's. He'll go into distress and we'll be forced to perform an emergency c-section."

Emma eyes were wide with horror. Samantha looked up from the folder in front of her, noticed her expression then rushed to say, "But that's just the worst case scenario."

She gulped. "And what's the odds of that happening."

"Slim."

She nodded shakily and took in a breath. "What's the best case?"

"She'll calm down. We'll treat the burns, put a cast on her ankle - doesn't look to be broken - then send her home. Another nurse, William, is in there with her now. He's quite good with these things. Calming patients down."

"Okay," Emma nodded. "Okay," she said again, this time more sure of herself. "Thanks."

She went and sat down again. She noticed Graham was gone and looked around but couldn't see him. She tried to calm down, to breathe and think rationally. She couldn't. Emma thought of when she gave birth to Henry. That wasn't even this scary. She was young and imprisoned, handcuffed to the bed by her wrists and ankles - barbaric - but it wasn't this scary. It was just a lot of pain, sweating and pushing.

_It's probably because I'm on the other side of the door this time_, Emma reflected.

And she knew things could go wrong. That things had gone wrong with the pregnancy since she got here. Emma felt somehow guilty for that. No, not guilty, just... responsible. Like it was her fault. Okay, fine, guilt. She felt guilt. She noticed Graham approach and looked up. He offered her a take-out cup.

"Coffee," he said.

She took it. "Thanks."

He sat down next to her. She took a sip.

"Did you call David?"

She shook her head. "No. My phone broke when I landed on it."

Emma thought of the explosion, the blast that threw them backward. She'd been lucky, hadn't been injured or hurt. Walked away with just a few bruises and some slight burns.

"Okay, then, I'll call him," Graham said. "You get those seen to," he gestured to her arms. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head then stood and reached in to his pocket for his phone.

_**...**_

His heart clenched at the sight of those white dressings on his daughter's arms. He wanted to run up to her and grab her. He wanted to pull her into a tight hug and see for himself that she was fine. But, he couldn't. He was David Nolan to her. He was not her father, not in her eyes. Not yet, he forced himself to believe.

"Emma," he said her name and walked briskly to her. He set a hand to her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just peachy," she said tiredly. He let go of her. She led him to the hallway and pointed to a room. "She's in there. They won't let anyone in."

They were friends now. In a way. After David got his memories back, he'd apologized to her. He explained that he was trying to make peace in his family, to make things right between his wife and son, and that her arrival shattered what they had been working toward for the last few months. He blamed her for their problems and disliked the impact she had on Henry. He was also envious of the easy relationship she had with him. Surprised by his honesty, she accepted his apology after a long moment of contemplative silence and they moved into a neutral tolerance for one another then into something that resembled a friendship then into a co-parenting state. David cringed at the thought of that. Because how could he possibly co-parent with his daughter? _I share a son with my daughter._ He cringed again.

"You okay?" Emma asked skeptically.

He focused back on the present and asked about Regina. Emma sat him down and explained the two scenarios the nurse had set out to her. David's calm deteriorated with every word.

_**...**_

Her eyelids felt heavy. It became harder to keep her eyes open after each blink. Regina let them stay closed after that one and laid her head back, hands firmly on her womb. The contractions had slowed then stopped. False labour. False alarm. Her breathing evened out, her body felt slow and sluggish.

"Will..." she croaked out. "William."

She turned her head to the side and cracked an eye open. He stood by her IV bag, had injected something into it, into the pipe that led to her arm.

"William." Her voice was stronger that time. He looked at her, set down the syringe and came to her. "What... What are you... doing? What was that?"

He touched her head. "Nothing. Just something to help with the pain."

"No pain. Anymore... Passed minutes ago. Tired... So tired."

He touched her hair. "Then sleep." She fought to keep her eyes open. Her vision blurred. She tried to sit but found herself inexplicably dizzy.

"Shh," he soothed. "Relax, Regina. It was only a painkiller."

"I... I never... I never requested one."

Something was wrong. She felt it in her gut. Her mind warned her of danger but she was too drowsy to act on it. _He drugged me_, she realised.

"Who are you?"

The door opened. "Your doctor is here," he said.

Regina looked to the door. The man that entered looked vaguely familiar, his face from long ago. Her eyes closed.

_**...**_

The doors of operating room A4 flew open as a doctor and nurse sped in a still pregnant woman.


	20. Chapter 20

_**AN: I know it's been a while. Hopefully this chapter has been worth the wait. I'd love to hear theories of who you think the doctor and nurse are so please leave a review. The next updates should be quicker.**_

* * *

_**The Enchanted Forest**_

_**Eight years ago**_

_"Chess? Again? You sure your ego can handle losing to me?"_

_Cora laughed a little as she watched the two of them interact. Henry ran into the room a second later, scared and crying, and was scooped up by his father. They spoke a few more words. She watched, somewhat enviously of the family her daughter had created._

_"One hug."_

_Her eyes stung when her grandson lifted his arms around his mother's neck. She waved her hand in front of the mirror, made the image go away and was forced to face her reflection. She bowed her head and took a moment to compose herself._

_"Mum?"_

_She looked up and swiped away a half-formed tear. "Yes, dear?"_

_Her look was worried. Zelena walked forward and gave her a pointed look, clearly disapproving. "You shouldn't be using magic."_

_"Has your arm healed?" Cora deflected._

_She looked at it in its bandaged sling. "Not... quite... yet. It'll be fine in a few-"_

_"Come here," she said shaking her head. She waved her hand over the arm and it was engulfed in a light purple smoke. "There," she smiled. _

_The slung disappeared. Zelena lifted her arm and gave it an experimental twist. She wiggled her fingers then lowered her arm with a small amazed laugh._

_"You should have let me see to it sooner," she scolded._

_"You shouldn't be using magic," she said again. Her eyes flicked to the mirror._

_Cora followed her gaze and sighed. "I miss her," she said softly as way of explanation. _

_Zelena hesitated then came closer to offer her mother a hug. There was a long moment of silence. She pulled back. "The beans I retrieved from Neverland... We can use them. You can see her again."_

_"No. No," she shook her head. "I can't ask that of you. Not after you risked your life facing... _him_."_

_Zelena blinked, taken aback - she felt almost insulted. "I survived," she said haughtily. _

_"No," she stressed. "We have none to spare. We must complete what we set out to do." She turned to the balcony of the Dark Castle. "I've waited decades, what's a few years more?"_

_Zelena sighed, recognizing her mother's stubborn nature and resigned speech. _

_"Alright." She stepped back. She turned to go, then remembered why she sought her out, and faced her mother with a cringe. "There's something I need to tell you." Cora made a sound for her to continue. "The shadow..."_

_She spun around. "What about the shadow?" she asked, voice dangerous._

_Zelena winced. "It... It escaped."_

_**Storybrooke**_

_**Present**_

Her drowsiness was visible in her half-lidded eyes. "Who are you?"

The door opened. He looked to it, shared a look with the man who entered, then touched her hair and said in a soothing voice, "Your doctor is here."

Regina's eyes closed.

_**...**_

"This'll keep her sedated for a few hours, you say?" the doctor asked the nurse.

"Yes." He ripped the ridiculous surgical mask from his face and looked around anxiously. "How exactly do you plan to get her out of here? We're in the middle of a hospital and she's probably the most important patient."

He shrugged. "She requested another doctor. We'll call for a... A cesarean section. A c-sec. We-"

"That's out of this room," he cut across incredulously. He couldn't believe the man standing across from him. "I meant the building."

"Two of the operating rooms have exits leading to outside, allowing ambulance patients to be seen to quicker."

He reached behind the bed and freed it from the wall. It had wheels to be moved easier. The nurse moved to the door quickly and opened it.

"A4 is currently vacant."

_**...**_

The doors of operating room A4 flew open as a doctor and nurse sped in a still pregnant woman.

_**...**_

Kathryn found him in the lobby, leaned forward on one of those unbearably uncomfortable chairs they placed in the hallways and waiting rooms. His leg bounced nervously on the ground. His hands were clasped in front of him like he was praying.

She sat down next to him, but David only noticed her when she touched his shoulder.

"You okay?"

He shook his head and looked away. "She uh..." His voice was heavy with emotion. He took a breath. "She's unconscious. They just wheeled her out of here. They're... They're gonna do a c-sec..." he shook his head and looked down. "To try and get him out in case she..." He swallowed. "In case she..."

He bent forward, head in his hands. His shoulders shook. Kathryn rubbed his back. She knew better than to offer words of comfort. He calmed after a few minutes. She squeezed his shoulder. He touched her hand. A few seconds passed. His head snapped up.

"Henry," he said, as if just remembering him. "And the twins. I left them alone at the house and-"

"It's okay," she soothed, stopping him when he tried to get up. "David, they'll be fine for a few hours."

_**...**_

Ava was washing dishes. Technically they hadn't used any this evening. They ate the pizza straight from the oven tray as they waited for Regina and drank canned soda when they helped David with the nursery.

They moved the furniture as per his instruction, got rid of some of the shelves (there was only two long ones now, on the two walls adjacent to the wall with the window) and assembled the crib - which they then moved to the center of the room. With those small changes, the room looked way better now. It actually looked like a nursery.

David still wanted to paint it. He'd taken measurements of the walls and she'd logged them down as Henry and Nicholas carried a small table up the stairs and placed it next to the rocking chair.

They'd taken a break, were sitting drinking soda and chatting when _the call_ happened. David's face dropped, his smile replaced by frantic concern. He excused himself. The three of them sat in tense silence and waited for him to return. When he did, he wore a mask of calm that Ava saw right through. _Putting on a good face for Henry_, she thought as she rinsed a glass. _And maybe us too, _she allowed.

He gave a very brief explanation of a small fire at the Mayor's Office. Regina and Emma were at the hospital now, with Graham.

"Nothing to worry about," he assured, soothing Henry's panic. But Ava didn't really buy that. His speech was too forced and shoulders too tense. He was lying. Even if he was trying to convince himself of it too.

She kept those thoughts to herself though.

Henry was worried enough already. He was optimistic for the first hour they spent waiting - they'd tried to watch a movie - but halfway through Ghostbusters an anxious air grew around them, threatened to suffocate them. Silence settled in. No one spoke. Her brother drifted off to his room. Henry remained glued to his seat next to the house phone, watching it like a hawk.

Ava ended up in the kitchen. Nicholas was supposed to load and set the dishwasher that afternoon, but, when checking it, Ava saw he forgot to put it on. She unloaded it and began washing the dishes by hand.

It was a calming activity, she reasoned. Henry drew. Nicholas smashed the buttons on his video game controller and yelled at the TV screen. Ava cleaned to clear her head. It was weird, she knew, but effective.

Now finished, she moved to dry the dishes. The doorbell rang. She dried her hands, slung the cloth over her shoulder and went to the door.

Ava stopped a few feet from it. Something was off. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and her spine stiffened. Her body tensed, limbs went still, coiled, preparing for the flight or fight reflex. Her entire body was on red alert. _Danger_, her gut warned. Years of scavenging around for food and stealing from convenient stores had refined this sixth sense of Ava's. She was a thief, and thieves had to be aware of the danger of their surroundings.

The doorbell rang again. She took a breath and moved forward so stealthily her feet barely made a sound on the hardwood below. She heard footsteps and looked behind her quickly. Henry stepped out of the living room. He halted at her look. Someone knocked on the door. Loud, harsh, impatient knocks. Henry's eyes widened. Ava brought her finger to her lips, mouthing, "shh," to him. He swallowed and nodded.

Another breath in, Ava gestured for him to go up the stairs. He did. She stepped forward. She planned to sneak around the corner and catch a glimpse of the person behind the door through the glass on the side of it.

The handle rattled. Fear. Fast, immediate and overwhelming fear gripped Ava. The door, thankfully, was locked. She backed away from it and moved to the stairs. Henry was still there. He stared at her with wide frightened eyes. She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him upward. They took the stairs quickly, their footsteps surprisingly quietly.

A metallic scratching sound came from the door.

_They're picking the lock_, she realised.

She knew the sound well. She and Nicholas used to pick locks when they needed a place to sleep. That was before they found the abandoned house Emma caught them in.

A whispered curse came from outside. They were at the top of the stairs now. She looked through one of the glass windows and saw two dark forms at the door. Boys, she saw with a frown. Teenagers. The one was tall, probably sixteen or seventeen, and the other was shorter. He looked about fourteen. They were making progress with the lock. The one moved and the light glimmered off a black object on his hip. It looked like... a gun? A gun. A gun! Henry gasped when he saw it too. That spurred her into action. She grabbed his hand.

"You remember the escape plan you told me and Nicholas about?"

He nodded quickly. Then his eyes widened in understanding. "Y-yeah. Go to my room. It's under my bed. I'll get Nick."

"Hurry," she urged.

She went for his room, pulled the rolled up sheets out from under his bed and attached it to the old heater in his room. She opened the windows and threw the sheets out quickly. "Just in case," Henry had said, a small smirking smile on his face. Just in case, she thought now. The door opened. Henry and Nicholas came in and locked the door behind them

"We have to go," Ava exclaimed in a whisper when Henry started rummaging through his cupboard.

Henry ignored her and grabbed his backpack from the floor. He shoved a few things into it. Nicholas pulled something out of his pocket.

"Where'd you a cellphone?" she asked when he started dialing on it.

He ignored her. "Damn it," he cursed when he brought the phone to his ear. He hung up and dialed another number.

_**...**_

"Shit!" she startled. "Sorry," she said, taking a step back.

"It's okay," August smiled. "I've actually been meaning to bump into you. Not in the literal sense, but I suppose this works too." His smirk fell away and his eyes widened in concern. "What happened to your arms?"

Emma shrugged. "Burned myself making lobster."

"What?" he laughed. "How?"

She laughed at how easily he believed her. She shook her head. "I'm kidding. There was a fire at city hall." She lifted her arms. "Battle scars," she dismissed.

"A... fire?" he repeated dubiously. "Gas leak?"

Her brow furrowed. "No. Actually I'm not too sure what caused it. It's been..." she sighed, thinking back on the last few hours. "It's been a crazy night."

He nodded sympathetically but didn't ask about it. She appreciated that about August. He didn't pry.

"I should actually go check it out," Emma realised with a sigh.

Technically that was Graham's job - he _was_ sheriff. But it was clear he wasn't going to leave the hospital any time soon. She couldn't stand it there any longer, had to take a walk to clear her head. That's how she ended up just mindlessly wondering through town and walking into August.

"Mind if I tag along?" he asked. "There's something I wanna talk to you about."

His sudden seriousness confused her, but she nodded. "Sure."

_**...**_

He was breathing fast as he dialed the number again, fingers fumbling in his haste. "David! It's Nick," he said quickly. "Someone's trying to break into the house. There's two of them. Ava saw them. One has a gun. We're in Henry's room."

Henry pulled his backpack onto his shoulders and moved to the window. He looked down.

"That's really far down," he breathed, afraid.

Something crashed downstairs. They all jumped. "David, they're in the house now," Nicholas said, voice filled with fear. "Go," he mouthed to them.

Ava sprung into motion and urged Henry toward the window. "You go first. When you get down run to the backyard. Don't let them see you," she warned.

He nodded and climbed out even though he was shaking. He clung to the sheets. "Woah," he yelped when he swung a bit. "We should have gone out the back door," he said, voice smaller than a squeak.

There was another crash from downstairs. Ava's head whipped to the sound then back out the window. "Henry," she urged.

"Right, I know. Just..." He looked down then back up at her. "I'm scared," he admitted.

A moment passed before she admitted, "Me too." He looked at her quickly, swallowed down his fear and began climbing.

Nicholas hung up. "David and Graham's on their way." Ava put an arm on her brother's back and steered him toward the window. He took a breath and swung his leg over. "This feels familiar," he sighed.

She paused to look around the room, to see if there was anything else they needed. Where were they even going, she wondered. The hospital. Emma, Graham, David and Regina were there. No, David and Graham were heading this way. She racked her brain for a place for a few seconds then decided they could figure it out after they got out of the mansion. She ran back to the window and looked out. Henry was already on the ground, looking up. Nicholas was about halfway down their makeshift rope.

A shot was fired. She ducked instinctively. Laughter from downstairs. More things broke. She got up quickly and looked down. Nicholas was on the ground, sprawled. He must have startled and fell the last few feet, she guessed. He got up quickly, rolling one shoulder and hissing. She scrambled out the window and climbed down so fast her gym teacher would have died of shock. Another shot. She jumped the last few feet and rolled as she hit the ground to prevent injury. She jumped up quickly.

"What now?" Nick asked, whispering as they ran to the backyard. "Should we go the neighbours?"

"I don't know, what did my dad say?" Henry asked at the same time Ava exclaimed, "We don't even know the neighbours."

Another shot. They all ducked and froze. A thud - a door slammed open - before a loud whistle rang through the night. They turned back to see a boy leaning out the window.

"Felix," he yelled. "He's out here." He was the younger one, Ava saw. A wicked smirk took his face. He looked at her. No, next to her. "Henry," the boy smiled. She turned her head to the side and saw the colour drain from the younger boy's face.

"Run," Nicholas decided, grabbing Henry and Ava's hands and pushing them in front of him.

They made it to the street. Another shot went off. Fear cut her down to the core. She would have stayed there frozen if Henry didn't stumble into her and push her forward.

"Now, they're just wasting bullets," Nick laughed nervously.

"The graveyard," Henry panted as they ran between the trees that led to the forest. "We need to go to the graveyard. To my mom's vault. We'll be safe there."

She looked at Nick. He looked at her. "It's not the worst place in the world," he reasoned. "No one will think of it."

She nodded and they all went off in that direction. It's the last place anyone would look. The burglars would probably assume they'd go some place more public, more central to the town and people.

"And if they find us," Nick said, huffing a breath, "at least we'll get to pick our graves."

_**...**_

They shut the doors from inside after the assisting nurse left.

"They _will_ notice," the nurse stressed. "In minutes!"

"I know!"

"You know!" he repeated. "_You know!_ What then? What are we to do then? 'Be discreet,' she said. Discreet!"

"The options are discretion or her death," the doctor replied lowly. "He's not backing down. You saw that fire..."

He groaned as he ran a hand through his hair. The doctor freed Regina from her medical bonds, the IV drip and whatnot, and lifted her off the bed. They moved to the back exit and loaded her into the white van they borrowed from Moe French's flower shop. It had a medical stretcher in the back. They placed her onto it.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to get an ambulance?" the man called William asked. He shut the doors of the van and walked around the vehicle to the front.

The doctor locked the hospital doors from the outside then broke the key off in the lock. "Yes. But also more noticeable. She _did_ say be discreet."

He rolled his eyes and got in the passenger seat. "What about her boy? Henry?"

The other man started the van. "Checked on him before I came here. He's with his father."

"His father was in the waiting room."

He paused. "Well, I'm sure he's fine. The prince probably sent someone to the house." The nurse was about to speak. He cut him off, "We can check on him later. Our main priority is _her_. Her Majesty will kill us if we let any further harm come to her."

"And if we allow Pan's lackeys to get to the boy first? What do you imagine she'll do then?"


	21. Chapter 21

_**AN: I know that it's been forever. I'm sorry it's taken this long - I've been having difficulty getting on the site for a while now. Hope you enjoy. Please leave a review.**_

* * *

_**A few months ago**_

_"I think... I think David and I are just going to have to accept the reality that you're curious about Henry. That you want to be here."_

_Emma gave a small, relieved smile. "That's right. I do."_

_"Good," the Mayor smiled. "But if your objective is to take Henry from me-"_

_"Whoa," she rushed, "let's get one thing straight here. I'm not here to take him from anyone. I know I'm not a mother. I think that's pretty self-evident, but I did have him, and like you said I'm curious about him. I can't help it I..." She trailed off, not knowing how to explain herself. "He got in my head," she said. "And I want to make sure he's okay. Especially after seeing how..." She remembered the look Regina gave David when he said issues. "...troubled," she settled on, "he is."_

_Regina rolled her eyes as if to say, "Not you too." _

_Deja vu again._

_Emma's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and looked at the caller ID. "Excuse me," she said to Regina before sliding out of the booth and walking to the bathroom._

_The screen read: unknown caller. Probably my guy in Boston, she thought. He usually called from an unknown number when he had really good cases for her. About a week ago this would have been a god sent, would have meant big bucks, today it only served as a reminder as to how fast her life had changed. She had no use for her professional skills here and taking this job would mean leaving town –something she couldn't bring herself to do just yet._

_"Hey, Larry. Listen, I don't need work right now."_

_"Emma?"_

_She froze and in her shock, pulled the phone away from her ear. She stared, horrified, at the screen, before placing the phone back against her ear. "Neal?" she asked warily._

_"Emma…" He sounded relieved, a slight smile in his voice. _

_An image of his smile came back to her. Memories too. She steeled herself against them by thinking of stolen watches and months in prison. _

_"How did you get my number?" she asked. _What do you want?_ she really wanted to know. _Why are you calling now? Did you find out about Henry?

_That last question knocked the wind from her. His parents barely allowed her to spend time with Henry now. What would they do if they found out Neal knew about him too?_

_"Phone book," he answered. _

_She could picture the laugh lines around his mouth as he spoke, how his mouth moved, the mirth in his eyes. Silly Emma. Asking such silly questions. She swallowed uneasily. _

_"What do you want, Neal?"_

_"I just..." He took a long pause before asking, "How are you?"_

_It took a few seconds for his question to register, then for her to get over her outrage at his audacity to ask such a thing. _

_"How... am I?" she repeated, pissed. She laughed into the phone__. It was a__ cruel sound, even to her ears. "I'm not even go__ing to__ dignify that with a response. Don't call me again."_

_Emma ended the call, decided she needed a new phone, and exited the bathroom. She went back into the diner, had breakfast with Mayor and pretended that nothing happened._

_**...**_

_"Everything okay?" Tamara asked as she entered the living room of her apartment, tying her robe closed._

_Neal looked up as she walked to him. "Great."_

_His lie put her senses on high alert. She noted the phone in his hand but didn't comment on it and kept her expression unchanged. "Oh," she smiled. "You're up earlier than usual."_

_"Can't sleep till noon every day," he laughed and tugged her onto his lap. _

_She murmured a laugh of agreement and allowed him to untie her robe again. She glanced at the phone on the coffee table and the number hastily scribbled down on the page next to it. The Saviour's number. She recognized it from the phone book. He'd done it. She was grinning on the inside. He did it. And it took nothing more than a subtle and carefully timed comment on her part. He phoned her. Now she just had to get Greg to work his magic and then they would finally find Storybrooke._

_"What's got you so happy?" he asked, pulling back to look at her._

_She looked away from the table to him. "You." The light reflecting off the diamond caught her attention. "And this." She held her hand between them. He took it with a hum and kissed the ring._

_"In a few months we'll make it official," he promised. "Mrs Cassidy."_

_"There's no rush," she assured with a sigh when he leaned in to kiss her neck._

_**Present**_

"Mind if I tag along?" he asked. "There's something I wanna talk to you about."

His sudden seriousness confused her, but she nodded. "Sure. Long as you don't mind riding shotgun in a police car."

"This might actually be the first time I've been allowed that privilege," he said, following her to the cruiser.

She stopped by the door to look at him. "You had a lot of run-ins with cops?"

He gave an almost laugh and looked around for a second. "Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck and faced her again. "When I was a kid… I used to get into all kinds of trouble. Mostly petty theft, shoplifting, that sort of thing." She waited for the rest, and sensing this, August laughed a bit. "Curious Swan," he chuckled. He pushed away from the car. "Well, today's your lucky day. I'm gonna tell you my story," he decided.

Emma raised a brow at the declaration. "Oh?"

He nodded. "Only if we walk, Deputy." She walked around the car back to his side. "I was in foster care," he began.

…

"Then you lied," she cut him off. She'd stopped walking and was looking at him incredulously. "In the diner, when I asked you what you were doing here."

August sighed and turned back to her. "Yes," he sighed. "But you already knew that." He titled his head to the side. "Didn't you?"

Emma didn't answer, instead she walked past him, and continued on the route to city hall. She touched the gun on her hip, instantly aware of the fact that he was almost a complete stranger. Well, if he was telling the truth, he'd known her since birth. But, that would also mean he abandoned her as a baby. And that his guilt had finally caught up with him and made him look for her, made him track her down to this sleepy town barely the size of a speck on the map just to… to what?

"Why now?" she asked, arms crossed over her chest. She didn't bother to stop or even look back at him. He didn't respond for several seconds. She'd just considered turning around when he finally answered, "You."

Her next step faltered. But the one after was surer.

"I tried to stay in your life. I wanted to."

She kept walking.

"You remember that book you almost burned when you were only six years old?" he asked. "The Ugly Duckling?"

Her steps slowed then stopped, but his continued until he stood in front of her.

"I was glad when you picked Swan. Thought it meant you got it, that you understood."

She swallowed uneasily. "That was you?" she whispered. Her eyes flicked over his features. "That… That boy under the bridge… That was you?"

August nodded. "I never should have left you, Emma." He reached forward, and vaguely she was aware of a feather light touch on her fingers. Looking down, she saw he was touching her hand. She pulled it back. He accepted it without a word and took a small step backward, like he'd expected it all along. "I tried to keep track of you," he went on. "But… Well, life got in the way. I really tried." He winced and took a step back.

She seized the distraction gratefully and asked, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Just a cramp." He rubbed at his calf for a few seconds then stood up straight with a sigh. "I'm gonna go. There's someone I wanted to see about an apprenticeship – town carpenter," he said with a half smirk.

"Marco?" He nodded. "For carpentry?"

He shrugged. "I did woodwork up until the eighth grade."

Emma breathed out a laugh at the absurdity, and before she could walk away, he asked, "Do you mind if we… talk tomorrow? I know a good watering hole." She thought about it then nodded. He smiled. "Great. Granny's? Around… Nine."

_**...**_

"Awake at last, Your Majesty?"

Regina awoke breathing heavily, her chest heaving from the nightmare. She felt sweat on her brow. Her eyes flitted around the unfamiliar and dark surroundings anxiously.

"Where am I?" she heard a hoarse voice ask.

She realised it was hers. She saw a figure move in the darkness and remembered the voice that had greeted her.

"Who are you?" she asked, surprised when her words came out stronger and more forceful, with a slight bite in them.

The lights came on then. Bright near-blinding damn ones. She squinted at the sudden intrusion to her eyes and tilted her head down for a second. She saw two men before she did, one with his back to her and the other facing her. He wore scrubs, had light brown hair and looked… _William_, it came to her suddenly, _the nurse_. She blinked a few times before looking back up.

The other one glanced over his shoulder. "You tied her up?" he asked, irritated.

Regina looked down and only noticed the bonds then. They secured her to what looked like a hospital bed. Her eyes flicked up quickly at the sound of a slap. The nurse stood with a hand over his ear. He looked more surprised than hurt at being hit upside the head.

The man with his back to her huffed a breath of annoyance and turned around. He walked briskly to her.

"Apologies, love," he said as he untied her. He looked over his shoulder at the other man. "I told you _very_ specifically _not_ to tie her up, Welsh."

She rubbed at her slightly sore wrists, looked up, and for a full minute just stared at the man directly in front of her. "Hook?"

He gave her a devilish grin. "In the flesh."

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded.

_**...**_

"Gold!" The door slammed behind David as he barged into the shop. "Gold!" he yelled again, nearing the glass counter.

"Simply ringing the bell on the desk would suffice," said man drawled, just stepping out from the back room.

He reached across the counter and grabbed the little weasel by his neck. "Did you do this?" David demanded.

"Seeing as though I have no idea what I'm being accused of, Deputy… I'd say no."

"Where _is_ she?" he growled.

"I really…" His grip tightened and the older man faltered for a second. "I really don't know what you're talking about," he said. "But if you release me I'm sure I'd be of considerably more help than I now am."

David stared at him, face nearly a snarl, as he contemplated his options. With great reluctance, he released the man and stepped back. Gold took a breath and put two spaces between himself and the counter as he smoothed out his suit.

"How may I be of assistance?" he asked, his eyes shining with impish amusement.

Aiming for calmness, he forced out, "My wife is missing." He ignored the surprised titter from Gold. "She was kidnapped from the hospital a few minutes after intruders broke into our home. Now," he leaned forward, "I'm going to ask you this one more time… Did you have _anything_ to do with this?"

The pawnbroker studied him for a few seconds then responded with a cool, "No." He saw the man's lips flick up in amusement and David had to physically restrain himself from harming him. Probably sensing this, Gold added, "Although, there are…"

"Yes?" he asked impatiently.

"There are others who… remember. And if my memory serves me right, the Queen wasn't exactly… _favoured_ in our world, was she, Shepherd?"

He ignored the bait. "Others?"

…

Emma arrived at city hall to find the firemen still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

She looked around the front entrance. The firemen had arrived pretty quickly – not surprising since the fire station was so close by, and there weren't many emergencies around town – so the damage was actually quite minimal.

Well, except for the door. They figured pulling the handle must have been a detonator of sorts, that when she opened the door she set off the explosion.

It was kind of a miracle only her arms had been burned, that she hadn't lost an eye or something. She looked at the doorframe then around the room. Most of the rubble had been cleared away, but she could still see the debris that landed on the Mayor's leg, she could still see her bleeding ankle.

That image in mind, she found herself walking back up those steps, back to the ransacked office. Emma froze in the doorway, much as Regina had the first time she'd seen the room. Only Deputy Swan wasn't shocked. No, she found herself filled with dread and possibly fear.

Someone had been in this room after them. Someone had sneaked in after the fire. Or just after they'd left the room. One of the drawers in the filing cabinets was missing. She thought of her words from earlier, "Probably just some kids wanting to cause damage," and winced.

_Well, now I'm screwed_, she thought.

She heard Henry's voice. _"I want to make sure the book is safe. In case somebody's after it."_ Then her own: _"What about with your parents? At one of their offices?"_

Green eyes widened before Emma Swan breathed out an anxious, "Oh shit."

She went through each one of the drawers that were still there. In the third found a set of skeleton keys.

"What the hell do these open?" she wondered aloud.

She heard a noise behind her and in one swift movement stuffed the keys in her pocket and withdrew her gun. She had it cocked and aimed before she had a chance to process her actions.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ruby yelled, raising her hands.

Emma lowered her gun and breathed out a soft, "Shit." She placed the weapon back in her holster on her hip and apologized to the waitress. "Ruby, what are you doing here?"

"Graham called me, he didn't know where you were, but I did, so I came here and-" She realised she was rambling and stopped. Ruby shook her head, lifted her phone from her pocket and came closer. "Something happened at the mansion."

Emma's blood ran cold. She thought of the mines. Of Henry.

"Henry?" she asked shakily. She remembered Ava and Nicholas. "The twins?"

Ruby handed her the phone. Emma took it numbly. "Graham can't find them."

_**...**_

"Good luck," Gold called, stopping David just before he left the store. The prince turned around. "Good luck, Deputy. Finding your wife."

He gave the man a stony look before he hurried out the door. Gold winced as the door banged shut.

…

"My mother?" Regina laughed. "My mother is dead."

"No." His look sobered her. "The Queen of Hearts is very much alive," Hook informed her.

"_You_ were sent to _kill_ her," she said darkly.

He carried on as if she hadn't spoken. "And she's currently reforming the kingdoms. Trying to at least."

The Queen seemed to be struggling to accept the news, Welsh noted. "No..." she breathed, visibly afraid. "She can't... Cora? Cora is alive?"

"Yip," he dived in merrily. Her head snapped to him, taking note of him for the first time. "Oh. Don't worry, she's not _that_ bad anymore," he said, trying to calm her. It didn't work. "People say she's gone soft. She and your sister are quite close."

"My sister?" she asked in a shocked exclaim.

Hook hummed in affirmation. "Your mother, from what I understand, has had a... change of heart-"

"And by that he means, she actually has a heart now."

Hook shot him a warning look and stepped forward. "She's trying to bring order to what's left of your realm. The people have named her All Queen – Ruler of the Realms."

Her look turned dark and nodded as if it all made sense now. "And let me guess," she said, "the land without magic is the final destination on her tyrannical quest for realm domination."

Welsh shook his head. "Actually Pan is what prompted this mission. He and your mother had a run in about a decade ago. A tale about a boy with a heart of-"

"It's best," Hook cut in, giving Welsh an even harsher look than before, "if your mother told you about Pan."

The once Great Wizard of Oz shrunk back meekly at the pirate's glare, but not without noticing the Queen's eyes on him.

Her eyes snapped to the Captain. "Pan? As in... _Peter_ Pan?"

"He's not like Disney's version, Your Majesty," Welsh said when Killian offered no word on the matter. He thought of the movie and chuckled internally at his companion's portrayal. The situation came back then and any amusement faded to background noise. "He's a dark and twisted little rat. His lackeys started that fire you and the blonde were caught in. We _had_ to bring you here. It was the only way to get you to safety. Pan's not going to give up. Not until you're dead."

She gave him a look that told him she didn't entirely believe him. "Because my mother pissed him off?" she asked slowly, each word deliberately dripping with scepticism.

"No," Hook beat him to it. "He wants your son." The Queen's fingers flexed over her womb. "No, not that one. Your other boy. Henry. His... heritage is rather... unique. He needs Henry." Her eyes filled with panic and horror and a dreadful stubbornness he knew would mean trouble later.

Hook went on, "Your sister trapped his shadow and burned down the magic bean plantations on Neverland so he's stuck on the island. Been stuck there for the last seven years or so. He can't leave without his shadow. But the Lost Boys can. He tired of waiting for your curse to end and decided to take matters into his own hands. He sent them here."

His phone beeped in his pocket and Welsh lifted it curiously. Within mere moments that curiosity turned to an anxious dread as he signalled Killian over and relayed the news of the break-in. The pirate left immediately, donning his black leather jacket and hook as he went.

_**...**_

"Holy crap!" Nicholas exclaimed. He stood next to his sister, both gaping at the secret entrance inside the Mills mausoleum.

"Come on," Henry urged.

The twins looked at each other for a second before they went down the staircase. Henry stayed and locked the crypt door from the inside, then went down the stairs and pressed the button to push the coffin back in place so that it sealed them underground. Nicholas and Ava were staring at the wall of hearts.

"It's really real," Ava breathed. She turned to look at Henry. "All of it. All of it?" she asked. "Regina really did all those things in the book? She really killed all those people?" She looked absolutely horrified, and maybe even sick. "Ripped out all these hearts?" She backed away from the hearts. "She really is the Evil Queen."

"No." Henry stepped forward quickly. "She's not like that anymore. She's changed. You've seen it." He stepped in front of them. "You _both_ have."

He stared at the twins, imploring them to believe him, to trust him, if he couldn't convince them – the two people who'd been living with them for weeks now – that his mom had changed, how could he convince the entire town?

"The woman we read about would have killed us in our sleep," Nicholas said, looking at the hearts. He glanced at his sister then turned to Henry. "Regina took us in. She's the furthest thing from evil." He said that last sentence with so much belief that Henry launched himself against him in a fierce hug. Ava appeared unconvinced but gave a small defeated nod when he looked her way.

…

"Kid, kid. Henry. Are you there? Henry?"

He scrambled in his backpack for his walkie-talkier. "Emma," he called into it. "Emma?"

"Henry," she exclaimed in relief. "I heard about the break-in. Tell me where you are, I'm coming to get you."

"The graveyard," he answered quickly. "At the mausoleum."

"Ava and Nick, are they there too?" she asked quickly, anxiously.

He saw their heads snap up and looked at the twins. He smiled at their surprise. "Yeah," he said. "We're all safe."

_**...**_

"So…" she drawled, clearly bored. "You and Captain Guyliner are here... because my suddenly alive and changed mother sent you to protect me from Peter Pan?"

Welsh peered at her from over the magazine was flipping through. "Stranger things have happened." He shrugged and went back to the magazine. "Although, if we're being technical, I work for your sister, not your mother." She scoffed. Was quiet for a few moments. He looked up again. "I wouldn't," he said when he saw her fiddling with her bonds.

"I don't take well to captivity," she said, lips pursed, before continuing with them.

He snorted a laugh. "There would be no need for them if you hadn't tried to escape one second after Hook left." She growled in frustration when she couldn't untie herself. "Enchanted rope," he explained apologetically. Her glare was worse than the Captain's. "I'd rather keep you here until this damn curse breaks than face your mother's wrath." He pulled an unapologetic face and shrugged, "Sorry."

"I thought you said she changed?"

He shrugged again. "Still rips out the occasional heart or two to inspire fear, but... overall yes, she has. I just prefer not to take my chances with that woman."


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: I know it has been a really long time. And I'm sorry. I've just felt so demotivated lately and it took quite a bit out of me to finish this chapter. It has been a great journey and I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your reviews and favourites and follows. It means so much that you liked this story and that I could write it for you. This is actually the first story I've finished. Ever. So I feel quite proud of myself for this tiny accomplishment. Please leave a review on this final chapter of During the Curse. Yours sincerely, The Wicked Queen.**_

* * *

"Missing?" Henry repeated. He stepped out of Graham's hold. "What do you mean she's missing?" he shrieked.

Graham tried to be soothing as he broke the news, his voice calm and low. He used that same tactic as he repeated the rehearsed version of what happened. Missing, they decided on. Not kidnapped, or abducted or drugged and smuggled out of a hospital, simply missing. His mother was missing.

Emma remembered when his parents separated, the castle, his tears, how it broke her heart, and how this was infinitely worse. She hated the lie, but she couldn't tell him the truth. His jaw wobbled and he bit his lip to keep from crying.

"Kid…" she reached for his hands. "We're going to find her. Okay?"

Nicholas stepped forward. "Then why are you here?" he demanded. "Shouldn't you be looking for her? Or searching for the intruders? Doing your job? You-"

"How'd she go missing if she was in a hospital?" Ava asked.

"Where's my dad? He's helping, right?"

The amount of questions that came from three different directions had Emma feeling whiplashed. They stared at her, each expecting an answer. She looked next to her at Graham for help.

"We are doing our job," he said to Nick. "And right now, that's getting you three to safety."

"That's bullsh-"

"Nicholas!" Ava reprimanded, pulling him back by his sleeve.

He glanced at her. "No, it is. It's bull. We're fine. Regina's office was broken into, then there was a fire at City Hall, we were nearly attacked in our own home, and you're telling me checking up on us is your priority right now? Really?" he demanded.

No answer came. Everyone had turned silent at this point.

He looked from Graham to Emma and shook his head in disbelief. "Don't any of these events seem related to you?"

Emma stepped closer to try and calm him. "Kid-"

"Don't call me that! I'm _not_ your kid." He yanked out of her reach when she touched his arm. "She's missing and you're here. Your top concern shouldn't be babysitting us. It should be finding my…" he trailed off, eyes wide. The anger of his outburst was replaced by shock and embarrassment. He looked down quickly. "F-Finding the mayor," he finished softly.

No one spoke for the next moment. Emma sputtered in her attempts at speech and ended up just gesturing Henry in the direction of the cruiser. The twins followed without a word. Nick avoided her eyes.

She took a deep breath and turned to Graham. His expression matched hers – stunned bafflement.

"He's… The boy's just upset, Emma," he said, trying to be of comfort.

She shook her head. "No, he's right. We're wasting time." She stepped away from him. "I'll take the kids back to my place. Mary-Margaret will take care of them. You head back to the hospital."

He nodded and turned for his cruiser. Emma watched them drive off before getting in hers. She slid into the leather seat and grabbed the steering wheel carefully. Her arms were starting to itch under the bandages. She turned the key in the ignition. They spent the car ride in an unbearably tense silence. Emma was scared to break it, feared the storm it would unleash.

…

"It's right here," he said desperately. "It's right here. So close I can smell it. Six hours and-"

"Greg," she said tiredly. "It's not safe. Not yet."

"But-"

"I know," she breathed. "I know. It's so close. After all these years of searching it's finally in your grasp… I get it. But we need to be careful. Going in now would be dangerous. It would bring unnecessary attention to us."

Tamara stirred her drink while he was silent on the end. She knew these pauses were just moments of reflection, just moments to think things through.

"And there is that barrier spell," he muttered, as if confessing a horrible sin.

She took a sip and hummed in agreement. "We just have to wait. Until the curse breaks. And according to Home Office it'll be soon. That way it will seem like the breaking of the curse ended the barrier spell. Deflect suspicion from you when you get there."

The front door opened. Tamara switched voices. "That's great, Sammy!" she said excitedly. Neal stepped into the kitchen. She mouthed, "Hi," to him before continuing with her imaginary conversation. "Okay. Give Joey my best." She laughed a bit then hung up.

She turned to Neal with a bright smile. "You'll never guess what just happened," she gushed.

He shrugged. "What?"

"Sammy got promoted to head nurse."

…

"Good luck," Gold called, stopping David just before he left the store. The prince turned around. "Good luck, Deputy. Finding your wife."

He gave the man a stony look before he hurried out the door. It was cold. He closed his leather jacket tighter around himself and walked quickly down the street to his truck.

"Oi Deputy!"

David turned to see Moe French walking in his direction. He approached with his daughter, Lacey, who offered a polite smile in response to David's irritated huff of breath as he stopped to speak to them. He nodded his greetings, attempting to be polite.

Moe cut straight to it. "Listen, Deputy, I've got a problem. One of my vans was stolen and-"

David nodded and made to move around them. "I'll look into it," he promised.

"Wait a minute! I-"

"I'm actually in the middle of something right now," David interrupted. "I have to go." He walked off.

"Ay!" Moe called angrily. When David ignored him, he continued grumbling unhappily about the poor law enforcement in town.

…

They were on the sidewalk outside her apartment building. She looked to Nicholas and Ava for help. Henry was rambling on and on about the curse, about her having magic, and using it to find his mother. She sympathized with him and her heart broke that he'd resorted back to the delusions, but she had to get him to see reason.

"Henry, we are going to find your mother." He took a shaky breath of relief. She mentally prepared herself to deliver the devastating blow. "But not with magic," she said softly. "Magic isn't real. The curse isn't real and-"

"No!" Henry snapped. "The curse is real. Magic is real! And you _are_ the Saviour! You need to help us! You need to do your job."

"And what exactly is that?" she snapped back. "What is my job?"

Henry didn't flinch. "Breaking the curse," he said with glassy eyes. "Saving everyone. Bringing back the happy endings."

She shook her head. "And _how_ am I supposed to do that, Henry?" she cried. "How?" Her eyes started tearing in response to the tears that ran down his cheeks. She wiped at her face furiously. "How am I supposed to break a curse? How am I supposed to save everyone?"

_I couldn't even save you_, she thought.

He sniffled and wiped at his eyes too. Her face crumpled and she knelt in front of him. She reached up to his wipe away his tears but her hands shook. He looked so broken.

"I'm… I'm n-not a Saviour, kid." She was crying now, tears of frustration, failure and guilt. "I'm not… I can't," she gasped. "I'm not hero ma-material. I c-can't break your curse."

"Yes, you can," Henry insisted, stepping closer to her, hope burning in his eyes. "You were born to break the curse. You were born the Saviour," Henry continued. "It's your destiny. We're all counting on you, Emma. Me, Ava, Nicholas, your parents, the town... Everyone-"

She breathed a broken laugh. _Then you're all screwed_, she thought as she stood and took a step back.

She wiped her hands over her face and looked at them. It wasn't until she saw Henry face that she realised she said it out loud. She reached for him quickly. "Henry…"

He dodged her touch. "No," he shook his head. "You're supposed to help us. You were supposed to fix things. To save…" More tears fell. "But everything's gotten so much worse since you got here. Everything," he screamed. "I should never have gone after you!"

Ava came closer and tried to pull him back. "Henry-"

"I wish I never found you!" Nicholas caught him by the shoulders and pulled him back. "My mom is gone and you won't even _try_!"

Nick finally got him back, but Henry spun in his grasp. He turned and ran inside the apartment building. Nick darted after him. Ava gave her an apologetic glance before turning and running after the boys.

…

"Woah, woah!" Graham exclaimed, breaking up the two men as he stepped into the security room. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded of his deputy once his fist had been separated from Leroy's neck.

David looked past him at Leroy. "If that tape doesn't come forth right this second-"

"He will be detained," the sheriff said firmly.

He gave David one final shove to the other side of the room and got Leroy to explain the situation. After assurances that he wouldn't lose his job, Leroy complied and showed them the real security footage.

…

His pacing ended as soon as the old monitors came to life and nine blocks of black-and-white footage appeared on the screens. David joined Graham quickly and watched.

The sheriff fast-fowarded the tapes. One camera showed the doctor and nurse speeding down a corridor. The next had a clearer shot of them. David's eyes found and stuck to Regina's still form. He couldn't tell if she was breathing. And then, he wasn't either. If she was gone…

He swallowed. If she was gone... His lip quivered. He bit it. His hands trembled. He hid them in his pockets. If she was gone…

With great difficulty, he forced his eyes to the screen at the top right corner. This one was inside the operating room. The doctor and nurse barked orders at the assisting nurse and she fled the room. They shut it quickly from the inside. They loaded her onto a gurney, then into what looked like the back of a van. The van's doors shut.

He watched the supposed doctor close the door from the outside. The cameras continued playing. He looked from one to the next. Nurses came and went. Doctors roamed the halls. A few patients loitered around the waiting areas. A couple stood by a vending machine. A little girl with a cast on her leg sat unhappily in a wheel chair. The hospital continued functioning. As if nothing were amiss. He looked away from the screen in anger. His eyes landed on Leroy.

"You saw this?" he demanded. "You sat by and let this happen? Or did you drink yourself into a coma and miss it?" he snarled.

_I'm going to kill him_, David thought.

Graham stepped in front of him again, blocking him from hurting Leroy. David shoved him away but took a step back, put space between himself and the drunken fool he once sat merrily with. _With Snow_, some part of himself reminded.

"What's that?"

Their heads snapped to Walter, who decided to replay the last part of the operating room tape. David looked closer. Just as the doors shut, the image was paused. It was blurred, but David was sure it had a green vine font on one of the doors. One he'd seen before. Plenty of times before. His brows pulled together as he thought. He'd seen it before. He knew it. But where? Where-

Anniversaries and Valentine's days. White roses and blue tulips. Game of Thorns, he recalled. Moe French.

"_Listen, Deputy, I've got a problem. One of my vans was stolen…"_

…

_Why didn't Moe do this himself? _David wondered as he tracked the missing van through its GPS tracker. A still red dot appeared on the small screen of the device in his hand. The van was parked near the old cannery.

_**...**_

"You okay?"

Emma startled at the question and looked away from the building to his hesitant tone. She'd been shocked into silence for the last few moments or so, had just looked at the building after they all ran inside.

He seemed mildly concerned. She shook her head. "I'm fine."

August raised a brow – he didn't believe her – and stepped forward. His leg wobbled and with a grimace he changed direction to a nearby bench.

"What's up with your leg?" she asked, following him.

He sat down. "Nothing. Just a cramp." She gave him the same look he'd given her a few seconds ago. He blew out a huff of air and rubbed his leg through the denim of his jeans. The material lifted. Emma's eyes widened.

"Is- is- is… th-that… Is that wood?" His head snapped up to her.

His wide eyes lit up. "You can see it?"

"Prosthetic leg?" she asked, grappling for reason. She shook her head. It was just a prosthetic leg, she tried to tell herself. It's just….

"You believe?" His breathing was coming fast now. "You can see it?" he asked, voice weak and raspy. "You believe."

Her eyes were wide and on his leg. "B-believe? Believe what?"

August doubled over on the bench. "In magic," he grunted, rubbing his leg. "Only people who believe can see it."

She shook her head. It was too much. Too much to take in. Too much to comprehend. The curse wasn't- _The curse isn't real_, she tried to tell herself. _It isn't… It isn't real. It isn't real. It isn't real. It… It… It was real. The curse is real_, she finally admitted to herself.

Her legs wobbled and Emma realised she'd already known, that she already believed Henry.

August groaned in pain. She tried to move it was frozen, tried to look away but found her eyes fixed on his wooden leg.

He stiffened before letting out a shallow breath. "Well then, Saviour," he rasped, "I-"

"Saviour," she laughed, an edge of panic. _Saviour_, she scoffed. A saviour who'd been living the last few months in denial. "Don't really feel like much of a Saviour," she admitted shakily.

He looked down. "That's… That's m-mainly my fault. I f-f-failed you." He coughed and patted at his chest. "I was supposed to… to guide you." More coughing. "To help you. To teach you about your destiny… teach you about our world."

"What? What do you- What- What are you talking about? The... The book… Henry's storybook… I was a baby w-w-when the…" she trailed off, couldn't finish that ridiculous sentence. "You couldn't even have been older than nine."

"Seven," he corrected. A moment passed. "I think…" He rubbed his chest and gasped. "I think you should know my name." He let out another grunt. "I'm sorry," he whispered, wheezing. "It's been getting harder to walk lately. Now, it's… It's harder to… to breath. I…"

"August," she panicked, stepping closer. She knelt on the ground next to the bench and grabbed his hand.

His head snapped to the contact. His hand came over hers. He gasped again, took deeper breaths, and met her eyes. Pain was evident on his face.

"My name," he tried. His voice broke and the wheezing became worse. "Mmm… my… n-name."

Henry. The book. The new story. She squeezed his hand. "I know it," she said through a teary smile. "You added your story, didn't you?" He coughed, rubbed at his chest, and nodded. "You're Pinnochio."

"In the wood."

She felt her face contort in a cringe at the awful pun. "Pinnochio," she repeated, shaking her head. "Pinnochio," she said again, more disbelief. "I can't…" she burst off into laughter. Hysterical laughter.

His fingers began to turn. Her laughter stopped. He held up his hand and gave each finger an experimental flick. They trembled when he tried to close and open his hand.

He caught her eyes, showed her his hand, and asked once more, "You see it?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah." Her eyes were filling with tears and spilling just as quickly. "Yeah, I do, but..." She wiped at her eyes furiously. "August, h-how do I stop this?"

"Break the curse," he rasped.

His neck began to turn to wood. His breathing became even worse. "Okay," she rushed, "okay, I'll do it, but I need you to tell me how."

August's lips curved into a crooked smile. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. His face was turning to wood now, it was spreading from his throat and forehead. "Think of every fairy-tale ever told. There's only one way to break a curse. Tr..."

The words died on wooden lips. "August?" she cried, horrified, as she clutched at his chest. His body went still.

…

Felix's eyes locked on Regina – they lowered to her middle. "Pan never loses," he said again, calmer this time.

He'd been rambling until Hook cut him off with a forceful punch. His next movement invoked a blur of action. He reached into his pocket, withdrew something and pulled his arm back to throw it at the Queen. Killian lunged forward. The object flew. A hook punctured the boy's chest. A dull heart. Wide eyes. Green sparks. _It_ fell. A vortex of swirling green chaos erupted. A portal was opened.

…

"August… No, no, no," she cried, pulling him up as she got onto the bench next to him. "August…"

She muffled her tears against his unbreathing chest. Wood. He turned to wood. Wood! How the fuck was she supposed to fix this? Her tears had dried at this point, but her head was aching. His words kept playing in her head, him talking about failing her.

"You didn't fail me," she blurted. "You didn't," she repeated, firmer this time.

He had to know that. He couldn't die believing he'd failed her. He was a just scared little kid with too much responsibility forced on his shoulders. Besides…

_He came back_, she thought with a teary smile. He was only one who had left and decided to come back.

She remembered words of Henry's book: _"And yes she was beyond hope, she was beyond saving..."_

"_But Prince Charming had to say goodbye_," she remembered. "He had to give Snow White one last kiss."

His irises were just blue paint now. She touched his face. "You didn't fail me, August," she whispered.

_This isn't a sleeping curse_, Emma thought as she looked at his unmoving wooden form. "And I am not about to fail you." She leaned forward. Her lips hovered over his.

…

David rushed to the cannery, broke ever speed limit he was employed to enforce, and had barely parked his car before he exited it and ran toward the abandoned building.

It was dark inside. He had his gun and flashlight aimed ahead of him and stepped cautiously forward. He heard a yell. It was followed by a chaos of wind. He sped forward, toward the sound. It sounded like a tornado, whirling winds of destructive force. His skin prickled as he neared the door.

The air felt different, alive and static, charged with energy. Magic, he knew at once. Chills ran through him. He kicked it open. The noise stopped. The room was empty.

…

It was the moment the Saviour's lips touched her true love's that a gust of wind swept through the land and a pure and blinding light was seen, thus finally breaking the Evil Queen's Dark Curse.


	23. Author's Note

_**A/N: To all those seeking closure, I am currently working on a sequel that will answer all of your questions. The title? After the Curse. **_

_**P.S. Reviews make me smile.**_


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